Disowned
by Tinkerbell79
Summary: Completed: Logan's parents have disowned him after he and Rory got engaged. Will it work out for them to stay together or will Logan's family break them up. ROGAN
1. Texts

Rory lay sprawled across the couch in her living room in Stars Hollow. She had been reading the same page of her book for over a half an hour. She just couldn't concentrate. Sighing she lay the book down on her chest and frowned. Logan being in London was killing her. How was she going to complete her senior year at Yale if she couldn't even concentrate on something like reading, which she normally excelled at? She was thinking about calling him and accusing him of robbing her of her ability to concentrate on anything other than him. She was starting to feel like one of 'those' girls whose lives started and ended with their boyfriends. She didn't want to be one of 'those' girls. She knew she loved him but did it mean that he was the one when she got to this point of obsessing?

Finally deciding to try find something to distract herself from Logan, Rory dragged herself off the couch and slid her feet into some sandals by the front door. Maybe her mother would have something at the Inn to keep her busy with. She had barely walked a block and the sidekick in her pocket started to vibrate. Knowing that the message would more than likely be from Logan she waited until she reached the bridge to stop and read it. Foot traffic on the bridge was minimal and that would come in handy if the message proved to be blush-worthy. Rory had initiated a series of very intimate instant messages via her sidekick. It was only helping slighting to help minimize the current space between them. While disappointed that they didn't help gap the distance more at least they were entertaining. Rory had been aware that Logan was an amazing writer before their exchanges began, but she had no idea that his writing was amazing to this degree. After one of his more mind-blowing messages Rory told Logan that if his father ever decided to disown him from the family he could always get a good job writing smutty romance novels. Practically tingling with anticipation by the time she reached the bridge she quickly sat down and opened her sidekick. The message was not an enticing follow up to her last message but the contents were just as thrilling.

Rory jumped up and ran the rest of the way to the Inn. Upon arriving, heaving and out of breath, Michel simply glared at her and pointed toward her mother's office. Her mother who was engrossed with the Inn's financials on her computer looked up shocked at the sight of her grinning, sweating, panting daughter and simply demanded, "What?"

"Logan texted," Rory puffed as she handed her sidekick to her mother to read.

"Gross—I don't want to read that filth," Lorelai replied.

"Mom, I would never let you read one of _those_ messages, how do you even know about _those_ anyway?" Rory asked blushing.

"Well considering that you are never without that thing anymore and whenever it buzzes you leave the room it didn't take me too long to put it together," Lorelai answered.

"I had no idea I was being so obvious."

"So, what does it say," Lorelai asked.

Rory grinned and read, **_"Ace – Dad is impressed with my dedication and hard work and has granted me a long weekend back at home. I fly into Hartford on Friday afternoon; can I count on you to pick me up? I am looking forward to spending all my time with you; please don't disappoint me by already having plans. Love you, Logan."_**

Rory did a very un-Rory little happy dance as she finished reading the text.

"Does this mean that I'm going to Friday night dinner alone?" Lorelai asked in horror.

"Well, I could invite Logan to come along…" Rory began.

"Yes, please…" Lorelai interrupted.

"But since Logan and I haven't seen each other in over a month we might not be able to restrain ourselves and that would lead to another discussion about my most precious gift…"

"Okay," Lorelai whined, "I get your point. So, did you come all the way here to read me your text? You could have just called."

"No, I was coming over to see if you had anything for me to do. I needed a distraction from my brooding over the fact that my boyfriend is not on the same continent as me. But now I'm thinking that I should probably pack up and head to Hartford."

"But Logan doesn't get in until Friday…incase you forgot how to read a calendar, today is only Wednesday."

"I know, but I have a lot to do to get ready for his arrival," Rory said.

"Like what?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, remember that big bash I threw right before Logan left for London—well I never really finished cleaning the apartment up after that."

"Don't you guys have a maid to do that for you?" Lorelai asked.

"Well we did but I told him that I would be fine to clean up my own messes while he was gone so he told the agency that we didn't need her anymore. We really should have kept her one more week, then I wouldn't have such a mess to go home to," Rory said.

"So that is why you are abandoning me? To return to a messy, empty apartment?" Lorelai pouted.

"Well I should also fill the fridge with food and stock up on the necessities…" Rory began.

"Okay, okay. I get it. I have just gotten so used to having you back at home. But you and Logan totally deserve this weekend so go and enjoy it. I will try to refrain from calling and interrupting Lord knows what,' Lorelai said with a grin.

"Thanks mom. I will come crawling back home to be comforted by Mommy as soon as his flight takes off on Sunday night."

Rory hoped as she turned the key to their apartment that somehow magically the apartment would be clean. No such luck. Feeling slightly depressed she walked into their bedroom and lay down on the bed. She rolled over and buried her face in his pillow, it still smelled like him. She couldn't believe his Dad was letting him come home for the weekend to her. Maybe Mitchum had finally realized that this was the real deal and one way to keep Logan on task in London was to dangle trips home to see Rory in front of him. Rory's pocket vibrated and she quickly rolled over and pulled out the sidekick.

_**Logan: Ace, did you get my message?**_

_**Rory: Yes—I was so thrilled I forgot to write back. I quickly returned to our apt. in Hartford to start preparing.**_

_**Logan: I am thrilled too. I am practically counting the hours until I see you again.**_

_**Rory: Me too.**_

_**Logan: We'll have to reenact some of our more juicy texts to one another…;)**_

_**Rory: Good thing you can't see me blushing.**_

_**Logan: What kind of preparing are you doing?**_

_**Rory: Well…I never really cleaned up after the farewell bash…**_

_**Logan: See I knew the maid would come in handy.**_

_**Rory: Yeah. But cleaning it up myself will distract me a little.**_

_**Logan: Really, what's on your mind?**_

_**Rory: Like you don't already know. **_

_**Logan: Glad to hear it though, Ace.**_

_**Rory: I miss you.**_

_**Logan: I miss you too, Ace. I really need to get going though. I have to be in a meeting in a few minutes. I will call you later.**_

_**Rory: Okay, have a good meeting.**_

_**Logan: I love you.**_

_**Rory: Me too.**_


	2. Homecoming

_**Author's Note:** So this if the first fan fiction I have written for Gilmore Girls. I am a long time fan of the show—I have literally been watching since the beginning. This story I am intending to take place starting after the 7.3 episode. It is going to take me a little while to get into the part that explains the title—but hang in there, hopefully it is good reading until we get there. I love feedback and suggestions and reviews, of course._

Rory had been a whirlwind of activity since Wednesday. Among other things she had cleaned the apartment, stocked the fridge with all their favorite foods incase they didn't feel like leaving the apartment at all and had Logan's Porsche washed and detailed. As far as she was concerned everything was perfect for Logan's return home. It was finally Friday and he would be here in four hours. Now what was she supposed to do with herself for another three and a half hours before she needed to head toward the airport? Just as this thought crossed her mind her cell phone started to ring. "Hello?" she answered it.

"If I know you, like I think I know you Gilmore you are 100 percent prepared for Logan to arrive this afternoon but now you have time to kill…"

"Stephanie?" Rory asked.

"Who else? Meet me in front of the building with the Porsche, we're going out," Stephanie demanded before she promptly hung up.

Rory laughed as she closed her phone and gathered up her purse and the keys to the Porsche. She took the elevator down to the garage and then drove around to the front of the building. Sure enough, Steph was waiting for her.

As Steph climbed into the passenger seat Rory asked, "So, where are we going?"

"I got us into the best salon in Hartford. We are going to get pampered and make you pretty for your boyfriend's return," Steph informed.

"I thought I was already pretty," Rory said with a pout.

"Well duh, but a little extra tweaking never hurt anyone; especially not someone who hasn't seen their boyfriend in over a month."

"True," Rory decided, "So what's your excuse?"

"A girl never needs a reason to get pampered. But it might be fun to torture Colin a little with how good I'm looking when we're done here," Steph said with a giggle.

"I take it you're with holding sex again?" Rory asked.

"If the boy would just quit looking at other girls and commit already we could stop playing these games. He brings it on himself," Steph replied with a grin.

Rory had to hand it to Steph; the girl knew how to kill some time. They had started off with a mud bath and a hot oil massage. Facials and expert make-up application followed. Next they'd had their legs waxed, manicures and pedicures. Finally they'd had their hair cut, colored and styled. When they left Rory felt like she practically sparkled.

Back in the Porsche Rory was driving Steph back to her car before she headed to the airport. "Thanks Steph, I needed that," Rory said.

"No problem. If I were in your shoes I'd want someone to do the same for me," Steph said.

"What do you mean by 'my shoes' what shoes am I in?" Rory asked.

"Just that you haven't seen your boyfriend in so long and you really want the weekend to be perfect. I know that can be somewhat stressful, but in a good way," Steph said looking a little flustered.

"If you knew something I didn't you'd tell me right?" Rory asked in a slightly panicked tone.

"Of course," Steph said, "Here's my stop. Have a great weekend with Logan. Call me on Sunday after he leaves if you need some company."

Steph had hopped out of the Porsche and into her own car so quickly Rory would swear that her friend knew something that she wasn't letting onto. But she didn't have time to dwell on that now. She pulled out of the apartment parking lot and headed toward the airport.

Rory had arrived ten minutes before Logan's flight was due in. She parked her car in the garage and headed toward baggage claim. She'd remembered last night that post 9/11 people were no longer allowed to meet incoming passengers at their gate. As someone who always got a little misty-eyed over the airport reunion scenes in movies Rory was disappointed that short of buying a ticket she was not going to be able to meet Logan at his gate and stage their own reunion scene. Rory stood by the carousel that was listed for his flight. Her heart started to beat a little faster when the luggage from that flight started to arrive; it meant Logan would be arriving soon too.

After a few more minutes people slowly started to trickle through customs and toward the baggage claim area. Rory stood slightly removed from the group so that she wouldn't be in the way. She patiently studied the passengers moving in this direction. Her heart leapt as she caught a glimpse of a tussled blonde head. Slowly she watched as it grew closer. Suddenly the crowd parted and their eyes locked. The smirk gracing his handsome face escalated into a full watt smile as they each started to run to bridge the remaining distance between them. She flew into his arms and he lifted her easily off the ground. Their lips crashed together, hungry for what they'd been missing for so long.

"Aren't you quite the welcome wagon, Ace," Logan teased as he finally broke off the kiss and lowered her to the ground.

Rory's arms remained wrapped around his neck as she whispered playfully into his ear, "Just wait until we get home."

Logan smirked and said, "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Quickly they retrieved his luggage from the carousel and walked back to the garage. "Do you want to drive or should I?" Rory asked.

"You can drive," Logan said, "I see you're driving the Porsche. Have you been driving it the whole time I've been gone?"

"No, too many memories to drive it without you here. I just thought I'd drive it today incase you'd been missing it," Rory said.

"That was thoughtful of you Ace, but you know the only thing I've been missing in London is you," Logan said.

"I missed you too Logan, a lot," Rory said, "Steph took pity on me this morning and helped me kill the last few hours I had to wait before you got in."

"Yeah?" Logan asked, "What did you and Steph do?"

"We went to the salon and got pampered," Rory said.

"Fun," Logan responded, "That was nice of Steph to think of you."

"Yes it was, but I felt like she knew something she wasn't telling me," Rory said watching Logan's response carefully. But Logan just watched her drive. "What?" Rory finally said starting to feel uneasy under his gaze.

"You look really sexy driving my car," Logan said with a smirk.

Rory blushed brightly and kept her eyes firmly on the road ahead of her.

"I love that I can still make you blush," Logan said as he brought her hand to his mouth to kiss.

The couple hurried up to their apartment practically counting the seconds until they could be completely alone together. Once inside Logan dropped his bags, shed his coat and lowered Rory onto the couch pinning her below him. They swiftly continued what they'd started at the airport. Rory was making quick work of the buttons on Logan's shirt and he was carefully hovering above her as he assaulted her neck with his mouth. Rory moaned in his ear and just as he was scooping her up off the couch to carry into the bedroom two cell phones started ringing simultaneously. The mood quickly changed and each looked at the other with an expression of utter frustration. Without a word spoken between them each agreed to deal with their respective callers and then shut off their phones.

"Hello?" Rory hissed into her phone.

"Rory darling, am I catching you at a bad time?" Emily purred.

"No Grandma, not at all," Rory said sweetly while rolling her eyes at Logan who was just answering his phone across the room.

"Huntzberger," Logan practically growled into the phone.

"Dad," Logan said with barely masked annoyance, "What can I do for you?"

Extracting themselves as quickly as they could from their respective phone conversations. They met in the bedroom ten minutes later.

"What did your Dad want?" Rory asked.

"Just to make sure my flight had arrived home safely and to see if I was available to come to a meeting tomorrow morning," Logan replied dryly, "What did your Grandma want?"

"She wanted to make sure I was coming to dinner tonight," Rory scowled, "What did you tell your Dad?"

"I told him that I intended to spend my entire weekend with you and that a work meeting was out of the question," Logan said, "He didn't take it well. What did you tell your Grandma?"

"I told her that I was feeling under the weather and would probably need to spend the entire weekend in bed," Rory said with a smirk of her own.

"Well, by all means, let's not keep you from your bed any longer," Logan said as he picked her up and tossed her onto the bed. Pulling open the bedside table drawer he asked, "Do we have any…"

"Necessities?" Rory supplied.

"Optimistic much?" Logan asked with a smirk at the sheer volume of supplies in the drawer.

"Was I wrong to assume as much?" Rory asked coyly.

In response Logan again pinned her below him and began where they had gotten interrupted.

"I'll take that as a no," Rory said with a moan.


	3. Dinner Plans

Rory woke up alone in their bed early in the evening. Wondering groggily where Logan had gone, she thought she could hear the sound of the shower running. Climbing out of bed she wrapped the sheet around her and padded into the bathroom. Dropping the sheet with a grin she let herself into the shower with him.

"You were sleeping pretty soundly Ace, I guess I really wore you out," Logan said with a smirk.

"Well, that was pretty amazing," Rory replied with a grin, "But considering that I barely slept the last few nights in anticipation of your return I'm not surprised I was so tired."

Rory reached for him and they kissed under the steamy water. Expecting the action to go further Rory was surprised when Logan untangled himself from her embrace. "Wash up Ace, we have dinner reservations at 8 sharp."

"Why? I thought we could stay in. I bought food," Rory called to him. Logan did not respond. He had already left the bathroom in an effort to keep his plans a secret.

Rory sulked a little while she showered and dressed for their dinner date. She hoped that he was not expecting her to have dinner with a colleague or even worse Colin and Finn. She dearly loved Colin and Finn, they had become her friends too but she wanted Logan all to herself this time. She had chosen to wear a silky white halter dress to show off her fabulous summer tan; one of the few things she'd managed to accomplish so far this summer. She decided on simple make-up and jewelry. She curled her hair and swept it up off her neck deciding that would be more comfortable in the summer heat. As she strapped on high-heeled white sandals she could feel Logan's presence in the room. He was standing in the door just watching her.

"Ace, you look stunning," Logan commented.

"Well, you don't clean up too bad yourself," Rory said with a little smile.

"Ready?" Logan asked, "We need to get going."

Rory was quiet as they rode the elevator down to the garage. Logan wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "Anything the matter?" he asked her softly. She just shook her head and smiled at him. Not believing her, he waited until they were in the car to ask again. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Just tell me who we're meeting for dinner so I'm prepared," Rory said in a defeated voice.

"No one, it's just me and you," Logan replied.

"Really?" Rory asked sounding hopeful.

"Really," Logan replied.

"Then why didn't we just eat at home? I bought all kinds of food," Rory demanded to know.

"I know you did but I really wanted to go out tonight."

"Why couldn't we have gone out tomorrow night instead?" Rory asked.

"Wishing we were still at home in bed?"

"Kind of," Rory said with a tinge of frustration in her voice.

"Trust me Ace, this will be worth it and we'll get back into bed soon enough," Logan said softly.

Rory was quiet the rest of the way to the restaurant but she reached over to hold his hand, letting him know that she wasn't too upset.

They pulled up at a restaurant Rory had never been to. It didn't look like the caliber of restaurant that Logan normally took her to. She looked at him quizzically. He parked the car before telling her, "This is an old favorite of mine from when I was younger and I really don't want us to be interrupted tonight. I didn't think we'd run into anyone here."

It was still a very nice, elegant place, just not one of their usual haunts. They were seated quickly at a slightly secluded table. Logan ordered champagne to celebrate his homecoming. Rory took a little while to unwind and believe that he really was telling her the truth, it was just the two of them tonight.

"So, tell me about all the fun you've been having without me," Logan said.

"Are you kidding, nothing has been fun since you left," Rory said a little sadly.

"Aw, Ace. Don't tell me that you're wasting away your whole summer pining for me," Logan grinned at her, "There has to be some crazy news from your home town."

"Well, you know about my Mom and Luke breaking up. I told you about Kirk driving Taylor's car in the diner….I can't think of anything I haven't already told you," Rory said in concentration, "Wait, did I tell you that Lane got pregnant the first and only time they had sex on their honeymoon?"

"No, you didn't tell me that," Logan replied slightly shocked, "Did you just say that they only had sex once on their honeymoon? That's crazy."

"It's actually kind of funny. When Lane and I met up after she got home she accused me of being in on some huge conspiracy to hide from her the fact that sex is actually really terrible and not fun like everyone claims that it is," Rory laughed.

"Why did she think that?" Logan asked grinning.

"Well Lane and Zack waited until they were married to do the deed and Lane was a virgin. I guess they wanted to make their first time very memorable and decided the way to do that would be to reenact the sex on the beach scene a la 'From Here to Eternity' and lets just say that it was really awful and to top it all off their crappy Mexican condom broke and she got pregnant."

"Have they tried it again and figured out that it's pretty okay once you're not on a beach and past your first time?" Logan asked.

"I'm not sure, but I haven't talked to Lane in a few days, so here's hoping," Rory replied.

"Besides all that was their honeymoon a good time?" Logan asked.

"Well, no. The reservations that Zach carefully made turned out to be the extra bedroom in some guy's apartment, 22 miles from the ocean. And they both ended up getting sick. Overall the whole experience was just a nightmare," Rory explained.

"Did you get them a wedding gift yet?" Logan asked.

"Actually no, I told Lane she should let me know what they need and she hasn't gotten back to me yet," Rory said.

"Perhaps you and I should give them a real honeymoon as a gift," Logan suggested.

"Wow Logan, that would be an amazing gift," Rory said.

"Ask her on the sly where they would have liked to go if money was not an issue for them and let me know, I'll arrange the whole thing."

The remainder of their dinner went smoothly; they caught up on all the things going on in each others lives since they'd been apart. The food had been excellent and by the time they were finishing up dessert Rory had forgotten that she hadn't wanted to come out tonight and was just enjoying her time with Logan. Logan paid the bill and helped Rory back into the car. They took off down the road and Rory realized that they were not headed back toward their apartment but instead toward Stars Hollow.

"Why are we going to Stars Hollow?" Rory asked.

"I can't tell you yet," Logan told her with one of his patented smirks.

"Why not?" Rory pouted.

"That would spoil the surprise."

"Come on Logan, tell me. I can be very persistent and annoying when I want to know something. Please?" Rory asked batting her eyelashes at him.

"Rory, you are not going to convince me to tell you before I'm ready, so why don't you just sit back and enjoy the ride there," Logan said and to emphasize his point he switched on the radio and reached for her hand.

She let him take her hand but she couldn't believe that he wouldn't just let her in on his plans. As Logan traced little circles with his thumb on her hand she relaxed and closed her eyes. 'This is perfect,' she thought, 'if only things could always be like this.'

"Do I see a smile on your previously pouty face?" Logan teased.

"Maybe," Rory grinned, "I just decided to take your advice and enjoy. Who knows what you have up your sleeve. Who knows how long I can expect you to plan surprises like this."

"Exactly," Logan agreed.

The rest of the ride into Stars Hollow was spent in quiet silence. Logan was mentally preparing himself for what he planned to do and Rory was just waiting in anticipation. As soon as they reached the 'Welcome to Stars Hollow' sign Rory asked, "Okay, so we're here, why?"

Logan smiled mysteriously and said, "I thought you might want to visit your mother."

Rory furrowed her forehead in confusion and replied, "Well, you thought wrong. I want you all to myself this weekend; I thought I made that perfectly clear."

"Well, hold that thought, you might change your mind," Logan said as he helped her out of the car. "I need to blindfold you."

"Naturally," Rory said sarcastically.

Logan carefully led her to the gazebo in the center of town. He helped her up the steps and asked her to sit. Taking a few deep breaths he dropped to one knee in front of her and asked her to remove her blindfold. Immediately upon seeing Logan's pose Rory's eyes widened and filled with tears.

"I haven't even said anything and you're crying," Logan said softly. Rory just nodded.

Logan reached out with shaking hands and clasped Rory's hands in his own. "Ace, although I am a writer and I tried to write a beautiful, eloquent speech to recite to you you'll have to forgive me. I decided that the truest and most beautiful words would come straight from my heart. Rory, I love you and the time I've spent with you as my girlfriend has been the happiest time of my life. I can't imagine not spending the rest of my life with you by my side. I can't return to London without knowing that you will still be here waiting for me when I come back. Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, will you do me the great honor of marrying me and becoming my wife?"

"Logan," Rory croaked through her tears, "what about your family? Won't they be furious if you marry me?"

"Screw my family," Logan said more furiously than he'd intended. Why did his family have to ruin his perfect proposal, not that he blamed Rory for thinking of them. They'd made it more than crystal clear that they did not see her as a good match for Logan.

"I want a career, I will not be a trophy wife who sits at home and plans parties," Rory said, "I deserve more than that."

"Ace, I know that and you will have all that your heart desires. But would you please just give me an answer?"

"My grandparents will be thrilled of course," Rory said offhandedly.

"Is that a yes, Ace?" Logan asked with a pained expression on his face.

"Yes!" Rory said enthusiastically, "Yes!" she said again as she stood and pulled him up with her. He pulled her into a tight embrace and tenderly kissed her.

"I love you, Rory," he whispered into her ear.

"I love you too, Logan," she whispered back as the tears began to fall again. "You were right; I do want to visit my Mom to tell her the good news!"

"See, I know what I'm talking about," Logan replied, "Would you like to see the ring first?"

"I forgot about that part. I'm just happy that I get you," Rory said happily.

"Should I take it back?" Logan asked as he started to put the box back into his pocket.

"No," she said as she playfully swatted his arm.

Logan carefully opened the tiny blue box and plucked out the ring to place on her finger. It was a yellow-gold ring with a 2-carat round center stone flanked by 24 princess cut side stones. It was stunningly beautiful and Rory gasped when Logan slid it onto her finger. He had amazing taste and knew how to best flatter her personal style.

"It is so beautiful, thank you," she breathed.

"I'm glad you like it," Logan whispered before he started kissing her again.

_**Author's Note:** I'm glad people are enjoying the story. Work has been so unbearably slow that I have more than enough time to work on it. Please review and please stay tuned for the next chapter when the happy couple shares their news with Lorelai._


	4. Ironic

Logan held out his hand to Rory, she took it and they began their walk toward her Mom's house. They were walking slowly, neither talking very much as each was suddenly absorbed in their own thoughts about the momentous event that had just occurred. Rory was already starting to dream about the plans she would make for their wedding day and Logan was thinking about how to break the news to his family. Rory had been right; his parents would not be supportive of his choice to make Rory his wife.

"Steph knew," Rory blurted abruptly.

"What?" Logan asked, confused.

"This morning when Steph took me to the salon she knew you were planning on proposing, didn't she," Rory inquired.

"She did," Logan confirmed, "That girl must have a sixth sense about her. I had been thinking for a few weeks that the next time I came home from London I would propose. No sooner than I'd made up my mind for certain and Steph called and asked me what was up because she had this feeling that something big was going on in my life. I was so stunned that I couldn't even think to lie to her about it. Actually it was nice to have someone to confide in about it."

"Did it ever occur to you that she might have just been asking to see what she could get out of you? That she didn't really have any particular feelings. At any given time anyone could have something 'bigger' going on in their life," Rory asked.

Logan narrowed his eyes at Rory and said, "Well, now I feel stupid. It's Steph; of course she was just fishing for interesting news. I bet she didn't expect me to tell her that though."

"Steph knowing really explains a lot," Rory said, "The last several times I called her to get together she kind of flaked out on me. She must not have trusted herself not to give anything away until today. But even today she said a few things that made me pause for a second."

"Had you figured it out before I got down on one knee what I was up to?" Logan asked,

"Not at all; that was truly the last thing I expected," Rory admitted.

"Really, why?" Logan asked.

"Well, to be honest, it was only extremely recently that I came to the realization that you were it for me. I figured that if it had taken me until now to come to the conclusion that you were the one it would probably take you a little bit longer to get there," Rory said.

"Ace, that hurts," Logan said while clutching his heart, "I can't believe that you didn't think I loved you as much as you loved me."

"It wasn't that. I knew you loved me. But considering your past and the fact that I am the only girl that you've ever committed to I thought you'd probably need more time to decide that you couldn't live without me," Rory said.

"Who ever said I couldn't live without you," Logan joked.

"Your profession of love back there at the gazebo kind of implied it," Rory said with a grin, "But if it makes you feel any better to know; I don't know what I'd do without you either."

"Good to know, Ace," Logan said as he stopped her and pulled her into a mind-blowing kiss right in the middle of the street.

After a few minutes Rory regretfully broke it off by saying, "We're probably putting on quite a show. Knowing this town, if we don't get moving the news is going to reach my Mom before we do."

They continued on their way and Logan asked, "What exactly did you think I was bringing you to Stars Hollow for if it wasn't for me to propose to you?"

"I had a few thoughts. One, maybe there was some crazy LDB event that was being staged here. Two, maybe you wanted to break up with me and this would be an ideal location because then you could just bring me to my Mom's be comforted. But, that was pretty much all I came up with."

"You didn't really think I'd break up with you, did you?" Logan asked incredulously, "Because if you really thought that I might have to increase my affections so you know how far from the truth that really was."

"Well, I certainly hoped not but with you in London and me here doubt crept in. I thought maybe you'd find someone in London or the distance would just convince you that we never really belonged together in the first place. Part of me has been waiting for you to figure out for a while now that I'm not really the girl you thought I was and break my heart," Rory admitted.

"Ace, as much as I don't believe in fate or destiny, you and I belong together. I knew it the moment I met you. I had no idea that there could be a girl out there who could go wit to wit with me and still be someone I considered so attractive," Logan said.

This time it was Rory who stopped Logan with an earth shattering kiss in response to the things he'd just told her. When they finally pulled away again Logan said, "Okay, I hate to break it to you Ace, but you can't expect me to be so mushy and sentimental all the time from now on. This is so not me."

Rory giggled and agreed, "You're right it's not very you. But that is part of what makes tonight so special. Hearing you say all these incredibly romantic things to me and knowing that you're being honest about how you feel. But you're right it's better if you only tell me these things once in a while—it makes it all the more extraordinary when you do say them."

Finally arriving in Lorelai's front yard Rory informed Logan, "Looks like we get to share the news with both my parents at once, that's my Dad's car in the driveway."

"What's your Dad doing here?" Logan asked.

"That the other news that I forgot to tell you, apparently my parents are dating," Rory said.

"How do you feel about that, Ace?" Logan asked.

"Well, if they're happy, I'm happy for them. But honestly I'm a little worried about my Mom she broke things off with Luke and now she's with my Dad who has broken her heart on numerous occasions. I'm worried that she's just going to get hurt again. But the little girl in me would be thrilled to see my parents finally get together and make it work," Rory confessed.

There were lights on behind the living room curtains indicating that Lorelai was home and not yet in bed for the night. Rory and Logan let themselves in the front door and were greeted with the site of Chris and Lorelai making out like teenagers on the couch in front of the TV. Chris was missing his shirt and Lorelai was not far behind. Rory stood and gawked for a moment before awkwardly clearing her throat and announcing, "You have visitors!" Lorelai shrieked in surprise and tried to cover herself with a blanket and in the process knocked a bowl of chips off the end table.

"We'll wait on the porch until you're ready for us," Logan said, quickly steering Rory back out the front door they'd just entered through.

"I think I need to scrub my eyes with soap," Rory moaned.

"I actually I think it's kind of funny," Logan snickered, "It's like payback for them catching us in the closet at your grandparent's vow renewal party."

"It's so not funny, have you ever caught your parents doing that?" Rory asked.

Logan laughed and replied, "You have to remember that my parents don't actually like each other Ace. I'm partly convinced that I'm actually a test-tube baby."

"How are we going to do this," Rory asked changing the subject, "come right out and tell them or pretend we were just in the neighborhood and wait for them to notice the rock I'm wearing on an all important finger?"

"Up to you Ace, they're your parents," Logan said.

"Let's wait for them to notice. It'll be more fun. We won't be able to play that game when we go tell your parents," Rory paled a bit at the mere thought of making their announcement to his parents.

After a few more minutes Lorelai opened the front door and waved them in. "Ever heard of knocking?" she asked sarcastically.

"Not at the house I was brought up in. I think besides during a situation like this I would be mocked mercilessly if I knocked rather than just walking in. But from now on I may start knocking all the time and be safe rather than sorry," Rory shot back at her mother.

"What are you kids doing in this neck of the woods," Chris asked awkwardly trying to change the topic.

"We weren't far from here for dinner and thought we'd stop in and say hi," Logan supplied.

"Cool. So, Logan, how's London treating you," Chris asked in an obvious attempt to keep the conversation going. Neither Rory nor Lorelai were making any attempt to contribute to the conversation. Still upset with one another over the previous incident neither wanted to be the first to forgive and forget.

"Great. It's a neat place to be and it's been interesting to lead one of my father's companies. I'm really getting a taste for what my future will be like. It's just unfortunate that I have to be so far away from Rory," Logan said.

An awkward silence filled the room and finally Chris made another wild attempt at keeping the conversation going, "Kind of ironic you too catching us in this position—after I caught the two of you in the same position in that closet a while back."

"Exactly what I told Rory while we were waiting on the porch," Logan offered with a chuckle. Rory's expression had begun to soften and Logan could tell that a smile was not too far off.

"I'm not sure what's worse," Lorelai began, "Getting caught making out with Chris by my parents or getting caught making out with Chris by our daughter."

The ice was finally broken and the four had a good laugh over the incident. As the laughter was starting to die down and Rory was carefully wiping tears of laugher from her eyes Lorelai suddenly froze and exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, is that what I think it is?"

Lorelai grabbed for Rory's left hand and examined the ring upon it as her eyes filled with tears. Mirroring her mother, Rory's eyes also filled with tears as she was pulled into a bone-crushing hug. The two were speechless for the moment which left Logan and Chris to do the talking.

"Congratulations," Chris said, "you got a good one."

"You're right, I did," Logan said smiling over at his fiancé, still wrapped in her mother's arms.

"If you ever hurt her I will hunt you down; you know that right." Chris inquired.

"I'd expected as much," Logan replied.

The two men shook hands as the two women finally broke apart. Chris slung his arm around Rory as he offered her his congratulations and Lorelai somewhat awkwardly approached Logan.

"We haven't really gotten to know each other very well yet. But you obviously make my daughter very happy. So, I guess this is, welcome to the family," Lorelai said as she reached out to hug him.

Logan hugged her back and said, "Thank you, Lorelai. I can't begin to even express how thrilled I am to be part of a family that's actually functional."

"Clearly this happened sometime today," Loreali said, "Rory wasn't engaged when she left from here on Wednesday and you just arrived back in the country today. Unless you proposed via instant message or cell phone; which loses you major style points mister; Spill I want all the details."

Logan smiled and said, "I took Rory to dinner at one of my old favorite restaurants, which she pouted about because she wanted to just stay in tonight. Then I started driving toward Stars Hollow because I wanted to propose to her at one of her favorite places and she pouted about that too because I wouldn't give away my reasoning for wanting to go to Stars Hollow. Then…"

"Hey," Rory interrupted, "You could be a gentleman and not reveal how much I pouted tonight considering all my pouting had to do with me just wanting you all to myself this weekend."

"Yeah, but what fun is that?" Logan asked.

"Anyway, when we got here Logan blindfolded me and brought me to the gazebo to propose. It was very romantic," Rory finished.

"Sounds like it," Lorelai said, "When's the wedding?"

"We haven't made any plans in the half an hour since we got engaged," Rory said, "By the way, can you two keep this to yourselves for a little while. We need to strategize about how to break the news to Logan's parents."

Logan cringed a little feeling guilty that his parents were the sole reason that Rory could not completely enjoy their engagement.

"Sure, Babe," Lorelai responded, "When are you telling Grandma and Grandpa?"

"Not until after we tell Mitchum and Shira. You know Grandma and Grandpa will probably alert the media themselves when they hear the news," Rory said.

"That's for sure," Lorelai replied.

"Well, if you're ready Ace, we should probably get going. It's getting pretty late already and we still have a 45 minute drive ahead of us," Logan said, "Besides I think the jetlag is starting to catch up with me."

The four said their good-byes and the newly engaged couple started their walk back toward the car.

"Do you want me to drive?" Rory asked, "Since you're getting jetlagged?"

"I'm not jetlagged, Ace," Logan said, "I just needed a polite way to get you out of there so I could bring you home and get you back into bed."

"Ahhh, excellent tactics," Rory said with a smirk.


	5. Disowned

Rory was surprised to feel Logan still in bed beside her late the next morning when she awoke. Typically he was an early riser and often left her to continue sleeping alone when he got up in the morning. Without opening her eyes she snuggled closer to him and sighed contentedly.

"Morning Ace; sleep well?" Logan asked.

"Mmmm-hmmm," Rory replied happily. She lay silently thinking about the daunting day ahead of them. Logan had called his parents the night before and asked if the four of them could have dinner. Rory wanted to wait until Sunday to tell them but Logan insisted that Saturday would be better because Sunday would be their last day together before he went back to London and he didn't want any vicious or nasty remarks his parents made to wreck their last day together.

"What are you thinking about, Ace?" Logan asked with a smile.

"Would you believe that I was thinking about how relieved I am that last night wasn't just a really great dream?" Rory asked.

"I believe that's what you were thinking when you first woke up a few minutes ago. Now I think you're probably obsessing about meeting my parents for dinner tonight," Logan informed her.

"I just have a hard time putting all my happiness in their hands," Rory said confirming that Logan's statement was correct.

"Your happiness isn't in their hands; it's in my hands and its safe there. I don't care what they say about our engagement and you shouldn't either. I am going to marry you no matter what their opinion ends up being," Logan said.

"You're sweet," Rory said, "But you know that I'm still going to worry until this is done."

"I know, which is why I need to do my best to keep your mind occupied with other things," Logan said suggestively as he ran his hands over her naked back.

"Well, Mr. Huntzberger, what ever did you have in mind," Rory asked coyly.

"For starters I thought some of this," Logan said with a smirk as he lowered his mouth to her neck."

"Oh my," Rory giggled, "What else?"

"Well, this might do the trick," Logan said as his mouth moved a bit more south.

"You are naughty," Rory moaned with pleasure.

"And if neither of those are enough, we could always try this," Logan said as he moved furthest south.

A few hours later the couple had managed to make it out of bed, shower and dress for the day. They had decided to go and meet up with Colin, Finn and Stephanie for a late lunch at the Pub. Steph of course already knew about the engagement but had agreed not to say anything so that Logan and Rory could play the same game they had with Lorelai and Chris. When they arrived at the restaurant their three friends were already seated and waiting for them.

"Logan, mate," Finn greeted, "How's London?"

"London would be a lot better if I had all of you there with me," Logan said, "What have you two been up to since graduation?"

"Same as you man," Colin said, "Working with our fathers."

"At least you two didn't have to move halfway across the world," Logan said.

"True," Finn replied.

Rory had purposely sat next to Steph and the two were whispering quietly as Steph admired Rory's ring under the table. "You'll have to fill me in on all the details once these two boneheads manage to notice," Steph said, "Knowing them, we could be here all day."

"We could make it interesting," Rory said.

"Meaning?" Steph asked.

"Place a little wager on how long it will take these two to notice," Rory said, "I bet it will take them 30 minutes or less.

"I'll take that action and bet that it will take them more than 30 minutes to notice," Steph countered, "What are the terms?"

"Whoever loses has to buy lunch next time we go out," Rory said.

"That's boring Gilmore," Steph whined.

"What can I say, I'm not much of a gambler," Rory said.

Rory started the timer on her watch and the two girls tuned back into the conversation. The boys continued discussing their work with their fathers. Rory and Steph occasionally chimed in and in the meantime Rory made no moves to hide her ring from them. Cautiously checking her watch Rory was surprised to see that her 30 minutes were nearly up; Steph was going to win.

"Rory, love, how long are you going to wait to tell us about the fantastic piece of jewelry on your left hand?" Finn asked casually as if he had noticed eons ago and hadn't wanted to interrupt the conversation to ask before.

"27 minutes and 43 seconds, I win!" Rory said to Steph.

"Damn," Steph responded with a shrug.

"What kind of answer is that?" Finn asked dejectedly, "And were you two actually bidding on how long it would take us to notice your ring?"

"I have a question, Huntzberger," Colin began, "How come Steph knows about your apparent engagement and your two best friends haven't heard anything about it?"

"One question at a time boys," Rory said, "Yes Finn, Logan asked me to marry him last night and I said yes. After he proposed we went to my Mom's and shared the good news. But rather than just tell her we waited to see how long it would take her to notice the ring. It was so much fun we decided to play the same game with you two."

"Congratulations, love, I am truly happy for you," Finn said ignoring Logan.

"What am I," Logan asked, "chopped liver?"

"Well I'm not speaking to you, mate. I don't know why you'd tell Steph your news before hand and not Colin and me," Finn said.

"Steph called me almost moments after I'd decided that I was going to propose the next time I was home and asked me what was up because she had this feeling that something big was happening with me. At the moment I was so stunned I just told her; but since then I have come to the conclusion that she was just putting me on to see what kind of dirt I would spill to her," Logan said winking at Rory.

Steph grinned broadly and said, "I couldn't believe you fell for that. But even more shocking was the answer you gave me. I had to avoid Rory for three whole weeks so I wouldn't accidentally ruin the surprise."

"Okay, the only question still standing is; were you two actually bidding on how long it would take us to notice the ring?" Colin asked.

"It was my idea," Rory said somewhat sheepishly, "But I had much more faith in you two than Steph did. I said it would take you 30 minutes or less and Steph said for sure over 30 minutes."

"Well, what did you win, love?" Finn asked.

"I have to pay for lunch next time the two of us go out," Steph said scoffing.

"Amateur," Logan whispered into Rory's ear, "I would have had her at $1,000 or a car or sexual favors or something."

"You bet for sexual favors?" Rory demanded.

"Only from my best girl," Logan said. When Rory continued to look un-amused he quickly added, "It's just a joke, Ace."

"Now that all the questions are out of the way, we need details," Steph said.

Rory and Logan took turns filling in portions of their night leading up to, including and following the proposal. It was obvious to all their friends how deeply in love they were and they were happy for them. But Colin and Finn's happiness for their friend did not stop them from harassing him mercilessly.

"I can't believe you got engaged man," Colin said, "Even though Rory is a really great girl you were like the most eligible bachelor around."

"No kidding, mate, I can't believe that you left one girl wreck all your wild ways," Finn added.

"Sometimes I can't quite believe it myself," Logan said with a grin, "But she's worth it."

"I have a question Logan," Steph began, "Knowing how you like your grand gestures, how is it that you proposed to her in a gazebo in her tiny home town instead of in let's say Paris at the top of the Eiffel Tower?"

"Yeah!" Colin and Finn chimed in.

"I knew that it would mean more to Rory if I did it this way. Rory is not a material girl and I think it's safe to say that she is not marrying me for my money. A grand proposal in Paris might be more my style but it wouldn't be hers. I wanted this moment to be very meaningful for both of us and so my simple proposal in Stars Hollow was the way to go," Logan said.

"Of course I'm not marrying you for your money," Rory said, "I'm marrying you because I love you."

"I know that Ace," Logan said leaning in to kiss her, forgetting for a minute that they were not alone.

"Get a room!" Finn said with a grin, "You two are disgustingly happy. It looks good on you."

"We're having dinner with Mitchum and Shira tonight to share the news, so we'll see how long the bliss lasts," Rory said disheartened.

"Good luck," Colin said, "You're gonna need it."

After hugging their friends good-bye the couple headed back to their apartment to change for dinner. Rory was unusually quiet; Logan understood why and left her to her thoughts. Rory was sitting on the bed with her hair and make-up done, but not sure yet what to wear when Logan walked back into the bedroom.

"Ace, nice outfit, that is sure to make the impression we are hoping for," Logan teased. Noticing how pale and nervous she looked Logan sat down and pulled her into his arms, "I'm sorry. I know how much this is freaking you out. Do you want help picking something?"

Rory nodded and said, "Yes, but just hold me for a minute."

Logan complied and after a few minutes released her and got up from the bed. He scanned the clothes in her closet quickly and chose a light blue, sleeveless cocktail dress that looked stunning on her but somehow also implied an air of innocent sophistication. Rory finished dressing and adding jewelry just a few minutes before they needed to be on their way. The Huntzbergers had asked Logan and Rory if they could meet at their club for dinner; which Logan called a typical move; bringing the meeting onto their turf even though they weren't the ones who called the meeting in the first place. They were always trying to maintain the upper hand in any situation.

"I hate to do this to you," Logan said, "But can you keep your ring in your purse until we tell them the news. They are probably expecting this anyway, but at least this way we can tell them before they jump all over us."

"Sure," Rory said quietly slipping the ring off her finger and into her clutch.

Upon arriving at the restaurant Logan squeezed her hand and kissed her on the lips. "We'll be fine, Ace. No worries," Logan said. But Rory couldn't quite believe him since now he was also wearing an expression of worry and panic. They were shown quickly to the table where Mitchum and Shira were already waiting. They stiffly said hello and made awkward small talk until the main course had been served and Logan jumped into the reason why they were all meeting.

Setting down his fork and clasping Rory's hand under the table Logan said, "We've asked you to have dinner with us tonight because we wanted to share some happy news with you both."

"Really," Shira said with sarcasm, "What ever could it be?"

Ignoring his mother Logan proceeded, "I have asked Rory to be my wife and she has accepted. We are going to be married."

"Like hell you are," Shira hissed across the table at them. "Logan you know perfectly well that Rory is not a suitable person for you, the heir to the Huntzberger Empire, to be marrying. And Rory, I can't believe that after all the warnings I have given you that you would be stupid enough to accept his proposal."

"Shira, don't be rude," Mitchum said, "Logan can chose to marry whom ever he wishes."

"Thanks Dad," Logan said in a surprised tone.

"However," Mitchum continued, "we have the right to disown him and cut him off forever if he decides to go through with it."

"What makes the two of you think that you should be responsible for deciding who is and isn't suitable for Logan to marry?" Rory asked.

"We know what's best for him," Shira said with venom in her voice, "He cannot marry a gold-digger like you.

"I am not a gold-digger," Rory protested, "I have a very healthy trust fund coming my way as soon as I turn 25. The last thing I am interested in is your money. I love Logan. You say you want what's best for him but if I make him happy, wouldn't it be me that's best for him? What you must mean is that you know what would be best for Logan, but only as far as you're concerned."

Shira chose to ignore Rory's comments and fired back with, "Okay, well he also can't marry you because you would not be a proper society wife."

"I don't care what society thinks. Rory should be able to have a career if she wants. We could always hire you to throw our parties, Mother, we know that's your true life's passion" Logan spat at his mother.

Other patrons of the club were beginning to take notice of the scene being made and were openly staring. "This discussion is over!" Mitchum growled, "Logan if you intend to marry this girl you can count on several things happening. We will disown you, you will no longer be heir to the Huntzberger Empire, we will no longer continue to have a relationship with you and we will no longer continue to support you financially. You are immediately released from your duties at the London office and can find your own employment from here on out."

"What about the trust fund," Shira asked greedily.

"Since Logan has already come of age to have access to his trust fund it would be next to impossible and extremely expensive to reverse it legally. Logan's trust fund will remain intact," Mitchum said, "As soon as you come to your senses let me know and everything we have just taken away from you can be restored, but until that time comes please do not bother to contact us. We will not change our minds."

"Fine with me," Logan said to his parents, I think I'm getting the better end of this deal. Have a nice dinner. Rory, let's go."

Logan and Rory quickly left the restaurant and climbed into the car; immediately Rory burst into tears and Logan tried to console her.

"Oh my god, Logan; you just gave up everything for me." Rory bawled, "I can't let you do that. Go back in and tell them you've changed your mind. I just figured they'd hate me but live with our decision to be married. I never dreamed they'd take it this far."

"Ace, it's okay. This turned out better than I could ever have dreamed that it might. Think about it…I don't have to go back to London. I can go out and get a job doing whatever I want to. I no longer have the pressure of being the heir. Who cares if they are no longer supporting me financially; I have my own money, not to mention my trust fund. I never have to communicate with them again if I prefer not to," Logan stopped listing what he felt were the 'positive' outcomes of his decision and started laughing heartily.

Rory looked up at him through her tears and said, "I've never heard you laugh like that before."

"I've never been this happy before," Logan replied, "Ace, thanks for coming between me and my family. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"Don't joke about this, it is serious," Rory scolded.

"Don't you understand what has just happened?" Logan asked.

"Apparently not," Rory replied, confused.

"We're free. We can do anything we want and we can go anywhere we want to. We are not tied to the Huntzberger name like we would have been had they just accepted you. We'll have to make our own way in the world, but isn't that better anyway? I know I prefer things this way," Logan gushed excitedly.

"So, you're really okay with the way things turned out?" Rory asked.

"Ace, had I known this would happen I would have gotten engaged to someone my parents disapproved of years ago," Logan said.

Rory gave Logan a stern look to which he replied, "You get my point, Rory."

"So, now what?" Rory asked.

"Let's go home and plan our future," Logan said with a grin.


	6. Repercussions

Upon returning home after the dreadful confrontation with his parents they were famished. Rory sent Logan into the kitchen to whip them up some dinner while she stayed in the bedroom and called her mother to fill her in on the night's events. After Rory changed into comfy pajamas she flopped onto the bed and dialed her Mom.

"Hey hon, "Lorelai greeted, "I wasn't expecting to hear from you until tomorrow night. What's up?"

"Yeah, well, I have some news, but first I need to ask you something," Rory said seriously.

Sensing the tone of Rory's voice Lorelai bit back the funny responses already forming in her head and said, "Sure, go ahead."

"In all my recent happiness I overlooked the fact that I got engaged directly on the heels of your engagement to Luke breaking up. It probably wasn't the best timing considering what you've been going through and I hope we weren't being completely insensitive by rushing right over to share the news," Rory explained.

"Was there a question hidden in there somewhere that I missed?" Lorelai joked.

"I guess I'm just asking if you're okay," Rory said quietly.

"Hon, that is so sweet of you to be concerned. But, I'm fine. Really! I am so thrilled for you and Logan. Sure my heart is a little bit sore and my spirit is still on the mend and there may have been the tiniest pang of jealously over your announcement; but I'm okay. You caught your father and me last night; did I look like someone who is truly suffering?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, about that," Rory began, "Be careful! Dad's broken your heart before and this time you're just coming off this Luke break-up. Just be careful."

"I know, Rory," Lorelai said, "I know."

"So, we're okay?" Rory asked tentatively.

"Of course," Lorelai answered, "I am thrilled for you. Due to what I've been through the timing makes it a little hard but it does not change the fact that I am so thrilled for you and Logan. And if you'd share your news with anyone before me you know you would have paid the price. I am finding it a little strange that my 23 year old daughter will probably get married before I do, but what can anyone really do about that. It is what it is."

Rory sensed that it was time to change the subject. While Lorelai claimed to be totally fine it was not going to do either of them any good to keep talking about how fine she was or wasn't; she just needed time to heal. "So, Logan and I met Mitchum and Shira for dinner at the club to tell them the big news."

"Yuck, how'd that go?" Lorelai asked.

"Really, really horribly," Rory replied, "but in a strange way, things may work out for the best."

"What happened?" Lorelai prodded.

"I won't give you the play by play because I don't think my pride can take it again. But basically his parents told him that if he chose to marry me he will be disowned and cut off completely," Rory explained.

"Wow and you said it's going to work out for the best? How is that even possible?" Lorelai asked.

"I will explain to you in the same words that Logan explained it to me. We are free. We can do whatever we want to do and go where ever we want to go. We are not tied to the Huntzberger name like we would have been had they just accepted me," Rory explained.

"You're right that does sound good," Lorelai said, "Tell me more."

"Logan is no longer the heir to the Huntzberger media conglomerate. He never wanted that life and now it isn't being forced upon him. He can choose to have a career doing whatever he wants to do. He doesn't have to go back to London; he can stay here with me. His parents told him not to make any contact with them unless he has changed his mind about marrying me. They have cut him off financially except for his trust fund. We are going to have to find our own way in the world and make our own money. I have never seen him so happy," Rory said.

"Wow," Lorelai said.

"I know. Essentially, his parents have cut all ties with him because of me and I've never seen him so ecstatic. He claims that he is getting the life he has always dreamed of having," Rory said, "I'm just worried that it's all going to come crashing down and our relationship will take the biggest hit."

"How do you mean?" Lorelai asked.

"What if life without the Huntzberger money turns out to be different than he expected and he resents his decision to choose me over them?" Rory asked, "How depressed is he going to get when he realizes that his parents value his happiness so little that they disowned him because of who he chose to marry? I'm scared Mom."

"I don't know what to tell you sweetie. I think you need to have this conversation with Logan," Lorelai said.

Rory sighed and said, "I know you're probably right."

"Rory, I have seen how Logan looks at you and he loves you. You are his family. I think you have been and will be more of a family to him than his real family ever was. I'm pretty sure that Logan knows what he is doing when he chose you over them. But you really need to ask him these questions," Lorelai said.

"Thanks, Mom. You always know what to say to make me feel better," Rory said, "But he and I still need to talk. I better go; he's probably about done with our dinner."

"Love you, hon,"Lorelai said.

"Love you too, Mom," Rory answered before they both hung up.

Rory sat silently on the bed for a moment before getting up and heading out into the kitchen. Logan didn't hear her come in and for a minute she just watched him carefully cooking their dinner. She really hoped that this disloyalty from his family wouldn't take too hard a toll on him. He didn't deserve that. She also hoped that he wouldn't change his mind about choosing her based on their upcoming discussion. Her heart wouldn't handle the blow; she loved him too much.

Logan looked up from his work at the stove and smirked at her, "Ace, I thought maybe you fell asleep in there."

"I was talking to my Mom, you know that can take a long time," Rory said, as she hopped up onto the counter besides where he was working at the stove.

Logan left the food and pressed himself between her legs. Kissing her on the forehead he asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. But we need to talk," Rory said quietly.

"I know," Logan said back, "Let's eat first and then we'll talk."

Logan had prepared bow-tie pasta with meat sauce and crusty garlic bread for dinner. They ate in relative silence as he looked through the business section of the newspaper and she the lifestyles section. When they'd finished eating Rory loaded the dishes into the dishwasher. "Let's go to bed and talk in the morning," Logan pleaded, when Rory had finished with the dishes.

"No, we need to talk now. If we put it off we'll never talk about it and I won't feel better until we do," Rory said. She took his hand and led him into the living room. He lit a fire in the fireplace and they each took one end of the couch.

"You start," Logan said warily.

"I know that overall what happened with your parents today seems to you like a really great thing. But I am worried about a few things," Rory said.

"Okay," Logan said.

"First, I am concerned that emotionally you are not dealing with the fact that essentially today you parents cut all ties with you because of me; effectively telling you that their self image is more important to them than your happiness. I am worried that if you don't deal with this, someday it will come back to haunt you and you might resent the decision you made to chose me," Rory said.

Logan lowered his head and was silent for a minute. When he raised his head again the expression of sadness on his face took Rory's breath away. "These people, my parents, have hurt me for too long. They are my family in name only. My real family has always been my friends; Colin, Finn, Steph and now you too. It hurts to be rejected over and over by my parents but this is the last time. What you see as the ultimate betrayal by my family, the people who are supposed to love me unconditionally, I see as the ultimate gift. They have finally given me my life to with what I will. I know you don't understand this but you did not grow up in the same world that I did. Your mother was smart and took you away from it. I love you and I chose you to be my family. I will never resent marrying you in regard to my family cutting me off."

Rory moved down the couch and climbed onto Logan's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close to her. He responded, wrapping his arms tightly around her and burying his face in her neck. A single tear slid down his cheek. Angrily he wiped it away vowing never to let his parents make him feel this way again, like he was not worth their time or attention. "What was your other concern, Ace," he asked in a strangled voice.

"After your little speech there this is going to sound stupid, but I still need to ask," taking a deep breath Rory asked, "What if life without the Huntzberger money isn't what you expect?"

"Rory," Logan said slowly, "Do you know how much I am worth even without my parent's money backing me up?"

"No," Rory said.

"My trust fund alone is worth nearly a quarter of a billion dollars," Logan began, "I have been saving and investing any gift money I received my whole life, not to mention the money I have made since starting working in the London office. My personal savings and checking accounts combined currently hold over two million dollars."

"Oh my god, Logan; apparently I had no idea what being rich really amounted to," Rory said, "I was excited when I got $20 for my birthday. I don't even want to know how much you were getting."

"Ace, I am an excellent investor," Logan said with a smirk, "I think financially I will be fine without the Huntzberger wealth backing me up."

"How much are you parents worth, if you don't mind me asking," Rory asked.

"The Huntzberger media conglomerate is worth somewhere near 100 billion dollars. I have no idea how much of that money is actually liquid and available my parents, a lot of it is probably tied up in companies" Logan said.

"I wonder how much the Haydens and Gilmores are worth," Rory wondered.

"It's not always best to know these things, Ace," Logan said, "Now if you don't mind me asking, I heard you mention your trust fund. How much is yours worth?"

"I actually have two trust funds; one from the Gilmores and one from the Haydens. My Gilmore trust fund is worth 15 million dollars and my Hayden trust fund is worth 25 million dollars," Rory said.

"Are we really going to worry about money?" Logan asked.

"I guess not," Rory said sheepishly.

"Have I answered all your questions?" Logan asked.

"Yes," Rory replied.

"Okay, then I have a question for you," Logan said with a grin. From his pocket he produced her engagement ring which she hadn't the heart to put back on before they'd had their conversation, "Are you going to marry me or not?"

"I have already answered that question and my response has not changed," Rory said as she leaned in to kiss him.

"In that case, I believe this belongs to you," Logan said as he slid the ring back on to her finger.

"I love you, Logan," Rory whispered between frantic kisses.

"I love you too, Rory," Logan whispered back, "Can we move this into the bedroom now?"

"By all means," Rory grinned at him.


	7. More Announcements

The next morning Rory woke to an odd occurrence. Logan was still sleeping soundly beside her and the bedside clock told her that it was already going on ten. Their bedroom antics, after their serious discussion last night, had been unparalleled. She was not surprised that he was slightly more tired than usual. But considering his normal schedule this bordered on shocking. Rory lie quietly encircled in his arms, watching him sleep. It was going to be another interesting day for them. They were having dinner at her grandparent's house to announce to them the news of their engagement. Rory had been looking forward to making this announcement to her grandparents until the Huntzbergers had disowned Logan; now she wasn't sure what to think. Logan's eyes fluttered open and fell on Rory who was grinning broadly at him.

"What's up Ace?" Logan asked sleepily in regard to her expression.

"I should ask you the same thing. It is nearly ten and you are still asleep. You must be ill," Rory teased placing a hand to his forehead.

"I am not ill," Logan said, "It's just that suddenly by some miracle all the major stresses in my life have magically melted away. It is a lot easier to sleep when you aren't worrying about things."

Rory frowned and said, "You never let on before that you were under so much pressure."

"No, I wouldn't. I was groomed not to," Logan said.

"Promise me that with this new life that we're starting here you won't hide your stress anymore. It is much easier to deal with if you let it out every once in a while," Rory said.

"I'll try," Logan smirked, "What do you think about taking a little trip?"

"To where?" Rory asked surprised.

"I need to clean out my office and my apartment in London. I could get someone to do it for me. But it might be nice for the two of us to get away together alone before you have to go back to school," Logan said.

"When?" Rory asked with excitement in her eyes.

"I can probably arrange for us to catch a flight after dinner at your grandparent's house tonight," Logan suggested.

"I need to start packing then," Rory said as she started to roll out of bed.

"Not so fast, Ace," Logan chided, "You haven't properly wished me a good morning." Grabbing her around the waist he pulled her back across the bed toward him. She pretended to struggle a little, but quickly snuggled back into his warm embrace and kissed him.

"You don't mind coming to London with me to clean things up?" Logan asked.

"I had hoped for something more romantic for our first trip together; but no I don't mind. In fact I would insist on coming, just so I'd know that you were coming back. I'll drag you back home with me if I have to," Rory joked.

"Rory, there's no where I'd rather be than with you. And from now on that is where I intend to be," Logan insisted.

After a bit more cuddling in bed the couple decided they'd better get a move on. Rory jumped into the shower and Logan headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. When Rory appeared in the kitchen 20 minutes later Logan had a steaming plate of waffles waiting for her.

"How is it that you; someone who grew up with a maid and a cook and a butler; know how to cook and me; someone who didn't grow up with any of those things' doesn't," Rory asked as she devoured her breakfast.

"It's one of my many gifts, Ace," Logan said cockily.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing that one of us can cook," Rory replied, "That was excellent. Now, I have some calls to make."

"Who are you calling?" Logan asked.

"I have two best friends who I still haven't told about our engagement and I don't think it's safe to wait any longer to tell them if I don't want to come to any bodily harm," Rory said.

"Lane wouldn't hurt you," Logan said.

"No, but Paris would," Rory said.

"Touché," Logan agreed.

Logan went into the study to arrange their travel plans while Rory wandered into their bedroom with her cell phone. She decided to get the hardest call out of the way first and dialed Paris as she pulled her luggage out from the closet. Rory listened to the phone ringing on the other end as she scanned her closet for suitable outfits to pack.

"Hello?" Paris snapped irritably into the phone.

"Hey Paris, how are you?" Rory asked.

"Gilmore, is that you?" Paris snapped.

"Yes, this is Rory. Listen Paris, if I called at a bad time I can try you later," Rory said carefully.

"Why would you think this is a bad time?" Paris barked.

"You sound…" Rory began.

"Oh grow up Gilmore. You know I always sound like this. Spill it," Paris demanded.

Confused Rory asked, "Spill what?"

"Whatever it was you called me to tell me, spill it," Paris instructed.

"You just sound more irritable than usual….Anyway, I just wanted to call and tell you some news before you heard it from someone else…" Rory explained.

"Just get on with it Gilmore," Paris demanded.

"Okay then…Logan and I got engaged on Friday night," Rory said quickly as to not annoy Paris any further.

"Congratulations Gilmore, you snagged yourself a rich one hey?" Paris

"Um, thanks Paris," Rory replied awkwardly.

"Listen Gilmore, Doyle and I are kind of in the middle of something so can we talk about this more later?" Paris asked.

"You could have just said so in the first place," Rory replied.

"Thanks," Paris said and promptly hung up.

"Sheesh," Rory said under her breath before hitting 'end' on her own phone. Setting it aside for the moment she folded a few outfits into her suitcase and moved back toward the closet to pick out a few more.

"How are the calls going?" Logan asked as he walked into the room and wrapped his arms around her.

"Paris gave me the run around," Rory informed him, "I could tell right away that she was busy or something and she insisted that I should just tell her now what I called for. So I finally tell her and she barely congratulates me before she informs me that she and Doyle are in the middle of something and we'll talk later and she hangs up on me."

"She's a weird one," Logan replied.

"I still have to call Lane," Rory said.

"Okay, I'm just going to jump into the shower. Our tickets are set. We're taking the red-eye from Hartford tonight at 10:45," Logan told her as he left the room.

Rory picked out a few pairs of shoes to match her outfits and threw them into her suitcase. Dialing Lane and Zack's apartment Rory lay down on the bed.

"Hello?" Lane answered sounding a little green.

"Hey Lane, are you okay?" Rory asked.

"I'm fine. I just don't get why they call it morning sickness if it lasts all day long," Lane replied.

"Other than morning sickness are you doing okay?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, I'm doing great," Lane said with a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Yeah?" Rory asked, "What's up?"

"We tried again," Lane said cryptically.

"Um….you tried what again?" Rory asked.

"Let's put it this way, I no longer believe that you were in a secret conspiracy to hide from me how heinous sex really is," Lane said.

"So I take it things went better the second time around," Rory responded.

"Yes, the second, third, fourth, fifth…." Lane began.

"Okay Lane, I get the point," Rory chuckled.

"Seriously, I completed underestimated how great it could be," Lane gushed.

"I'm glad Lane. Anyway, I have some news. I wish I had time today to come and tell you in person, but I don't so I wanted to tell you before you hear the news from someone else," Rory said.

"Okay," Lane said happily.

"Logan and I got engaged on Friday. We are getting married!" Rory exclaimed.

"Congratulations! I am so happy for you!" Lane said, "When are you getting married?"

"We really haven't done any planning yet," Rory said.

"Well, I am totally thrilled for you," Lane said.

"Thanks Lane," Rory said, "I wish I could talk more, but we have dinner with my grandparents tonight to tell them the news and after that Logan and I are flying to London,"

"Wow, you are busy. Well, call me when you are back in town," Lane said, "We should have a movie night before you go back to school."

"Totally!" Rory said, "Bye Lane."

Rory had one more call to make before she finished her packing. She dialed her Mom and waited.

"Sweets!" Lorelai answered.

"Hey Mom," Rory replied.

"Hey what's up?" Lorelai asked.

"I need to ask you a favor," Rory said.

"Sure kid, shoot," Lorelai responded.

"Logan and I are having dinner with Grandma and Grandpa tonight to share the news with them. I was kind of wondering if you might come with us." Rory asked.

"Why?" Lorelai asked.

"We need a buffer. As thrilled as I think they are going to be that I'm marrying a Huntzberger; they are not going to be thrilled when they hear that Mitchum and Shira have disowned said Huntzberger," Rory explained.

"Ah, understandable," Lorelai said, "Sure I'll come."

"Good, I already told Grandma you'd be there," Rory told her.

"Evil child; what if I'd said no?" Lorelai asked.

"You wouldn't have said no," Rory said confidently, "I should also tell you that after dinner tonight Logan and I are headed to London."

"London, why?" Lorelai asked.

"Officially, because Logan needs to clean out his office and his apartment. Unofficially, because we could use some alone time before I go back to school and we thought this might be a good opportunity," Rory explained.

"Fun, bring me a present," Lorelai said.

"Okay, so I'll see you at Grandma and Grandpa's at 6, right?" Rory asked.

"I'll be there! Bye kid," Lorelai said.

"Bye Mom," Rory replied.

During her last phone conversation Logan had finished his shower and entered the bedroom. He too had opened his suitcase on the bed to pack for their London trip.

"So, your Mom agreed to come to dinner?" Logan asked.

"Yes," Rory said happily.

"Good. How was your conversation with Lane?" Logan asked.

"Much better than my conversation with Paris," Rory said, "By the way; it seems that Zack and Lane _have_ discovered multiple times over that sex is not as bad as they initially thought."

"I am a little creeped out knowing that, but good for them," Logan said.

Logan and Rory finished packing and dressing for dinner just in time to head to the Gilmore Estate for dinner. They hauled their luggage down to Logan's Black Escalade and piled it into the back. When they pulled into the driveway at Emily and Richard's Lorelai was already waiting.

"Cutting it close you guys," Lorelai said as the couple climbed out of the SUV.

The three rushed to the door and barely rang the doorbell before being ushered in by the maid. As Emily fixed drinks at the bar Logan asked in a whisper, "Are we playing the game tonight?" Rory giggled knowing that Logan was simply trying to break the tension. She just imagined how tacky her Grandma would think she was if she didn't formally announce their engagement, but rather wait for them to notice the ring.

"So, Rory; to what do we owe the pleasure of your company tonight?" Emily asked, "We missed you on Friday night, are you feeling better?"

Rory had nearly forgotten that she'd told her Grandma that she was sick in over to evade Friday night dinner, "I'm feeling much better; thanks Grandma. Logan and I wanted to share some news with you and Grandpa."

"Well, go ahead," Emily said anxiously, obviously expecting particular news.

"Logan asked me to marry him and I have agreed," Rory explained while squeezing Logan's hand.

"Wonderful, just wonderful," Richard exclaimed.

"We are just delighted by this news," Emily cooed, "When is the big day?"

"We haven't made any plans yet, Emily," Logan explained.

"Well, that's alright. I'm sure your Mother and I can handle all the details," Emily gushed.

"Well, that might be a problem," Logan said nervously, "You see my parents didn't take the news very well. In fact, my parents have disowned me until I have changed my mind about marrying Rory."

"You can't be serious," Emily said, in shocked tones.

"I'm afraid I am," Logan said.

"I would have thought your parents would be ecstatic over this union," Richard barked, "Why don't they want you marrying Rory?"

Logan blanched slightly at the idea of explaining to Richard and Emily Gilmore that his parents thought that Rory was a gold-digger. Luckily Rory chose this moment to assert herself back into the conversation, with a laugh she said, "Apparently they think I'm a gold-digger. Not to mention that my preference to have a career rather than stay home and be a society wife does not appeal to them."

"Those crazy Huntzbergers," Lorelai said trying to lighten the mood.

Emily stood ringing her hands in shock while Richard paced and fumed.

"Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore; I am terribly sorry about my parents reaction to all this. I find it embarrassing that they cannot see what a great girl Rory is and how happy she makes me," Logan said, "I can't imagine not having Rory in my life. The consequences I am enduring from my parents are nothing compared to what it would be like to lose her from my side."

"Lovely sentiment boy," Richard bellowed, "but don't they know what kind of background she comes from?"

Logan just shrugged and looked to Rory and Lorelai for support.

"Mom, Dad," Lorelai said getting up from her chair, "Forget about the Huntzbergers; Rory and Logan are here. Let's celebrate this momentous occasion with them. I'm sure things will work out for the best,"

Emily still looked like she might faint from the shock of it all and Richard had stormed into his office; probably to call Mitchum and have it out with him. Lorelai turned to Rory and Logan and whispered. "Maybe it would be best if you two got in your get away car and left. I'll stay and try to calm these two down."

"Lorelai, try and explain to them that Rory and I are actually pretty thrilled about the way things turned out. I didn't even get to that part," Logan said.

"Thanks Mom," Rory said sadly; she couldn't believe her grandparents. They were being nearly as bad as the Huntzbergers; all of them caught up in image.

"Have a good time in London," Lorelai whispered to them as she quietly closed the door.

Logan and Rory walked slowly back to the SUV; not sure what to do next.

"You okay, Ace?" Logan asked as he put an arm around her.

"No," she said quietly as the tears started to make their way down her face.

Logan pulled her into his arms and placed a kiss on the top of her head, "It's going to be okay, Rory."

"I don't understand why people can't just be happy for us. Why does it have to be this big huge thing?" Rory asked.

"Because we're us," Logan said simply, "Let's get out of here. I think maybe I could get us onto an earlier flight now that we have time to kill."


	8. The Airport

**Author's Note:** Many times when I finish up a chapter I am so anxious to post it that I forget to even post an A.N. This time I remembered. I have some thanks to give. I love reviews and a big part of that are the great ideas that people bring to the table. Thank you to **_LorLukeAlways_** who pointed out how insensitive it was for Rory to get engaged so quickly after Luke and Lorelai broke up. I hadn't thought of that and worked it into the story. Thank you to **_sweetgirl23_** who pointed out that I hadn't yet brought Honor into the story—I had intended to, but the reminder was nice. Thank you to **_EternalSleep, ilovegilmoregirls913 _**and**_ GGmadness2006_** who all pointed out that Mitchum and Shira might accept Rory if they knew she was a Hayden too—I have worked that into this chapter. If you have ideas for me let me know—they might just appear. Also…to **_ivasunflower_** -- I have been trying to include the link to the ring but it's not letting me do it. I will post the link in my profile. If that doesn't work I will email it to you directly.

Please review! I love to hear what people are thinking about my work!

Now, back to the story:

Logan tried when they'd arrived at the airport; but hadn't managed to get them onto an earlier flight. There just wasn't that many flights leaving Hartford bound for Europe. They had more than three hours to wait until their flight departed; but since they were already at the airport they decided just to stay. They checked their luggage and proceeded through the security check-point.

"Hungry, Ace?" Logan asked with a smirk.

"Famished…incase you forgot we did not get any dinner at my grandparents house. Maybe we should have waited until after dessert to share the news," Rory whined.

"Sorry, Ace. If I remember right I think this airport has an Applebees; it's not gourmet but it's probably the best we're gonna find," Logan said.

"Right now I would eat just about anything," Rory said, "Applebees sounds great."

The couple were seated quickly and wasted no time placing their order. They sat in comfortable silence; the encounter at the Gilmore residence had exhausted both of them emotionally. Rory was reviewing a mental check list in her head of people she needed to personally share the news of their engagement with.

"Logan, did you remember to tell Honor that we got engaged?" Rory asked slightly panicked. She didn't want to offend the only member of Logan's immediate family who actually liked her by not remembering to tell her the news.

"Relax Ace," Logan said following Rory's train of thought, "Honor knew of my plans to propose a couple days before the event."

"Okay, good," Rory said visibly relaxing.

"Speak of the devil," Logan said with a grin as he checked the caller id on his ringing cell phone, "Honor, how are you?"

Logan paused for a minute, listened to his sister and said, "Sure, she's right here. Ace, Honor wants to talk to you."

Rory accepted the phone Logan handed across to her and answered, "Hi Honor!"

"Hey Rory," Honor replied warmly, "So I understand that congratulations are in order. Welcome to the family."

"Thanks Honor," Rory said quietly wondering if Honor knew yet about how Logan had been disowned.

"Mom called and told me all about how they disowned Logan because of you," Rory cringed slightly, but Honor continued, "I have never been so proud of my little brother."

"Really?" Rory asked relieved.

"Really; it is nice to see Logan growing up and settling down; and standing up for what he wants. You have a wonderful affect on him. Until you I was worried that he was going to grow up to be a womanizing cad," Honor said with a laugh.

"Thanks Honor. It's nice to have someone from your family on our side," Rory said.

"I am trying to convince them that they are being irrational and stupid and to change their mind. They have groomed Logan to be their heir; who else at this point are they going to get?" Honor said.

"We're actually pretty thrilled with the way things have worked out," Rory explained, "Logan never wanted to be the heir. Now he can do what he wants."

"If Logan is willing to give up everything for you he must be even more in love with you than I ever dreamed," Honor replied, "All I know is that if he's happy; then I'm happy for him."

"Thanks Honor. I should hand you back to Logan though. He has been motioning for the phone for a while now," Rory said as she swatted Logan's hand away again.

"Okay Rory. Call me when you're ready to go wedding shopping," Honor said.

"Bye Honor," Rory said and handed the phone back to Logan.

Logan talked to his sister about the situation with his parents until their food arrived; trying to convince her that he really was fine with being disowned and cut off. After they finished eating, which didn't take long considering how hungry they both were, the couple paid their bill and wandered into a store to look at reading materials for the long flight to London. After running out of things to do to pass the time until the flight the couple headed toward their gate and found some open seats.

"We should talk about wedding plans," Logan said, surprising Rory.

"Okay," Rory said stunned.

"It sounded like your Grandmother was pretty gung-ho on planning the whole thing and I just want to make sure that you get the wedding that you want," Logan said.

Rory's heart melted a little at his words and she replied, "It's our wedding Logan. I want it to be what you want too."

"In my mind my wedding has always been this event that my fiancé, her mother and my mother would plan together. I would be completely removed from the process. It would end up being big and fancy and nothing that I would enjoy at all. Plus, I'm a guy. I have never given any thought to what kind of wedding I would want," Logan said, "So why don't you tell me what you have in mind."

"I would like to get married at and hold the reception at the Dragonfly Inn," Rory said, "I want to get married outside so we probably need to pick a date between mid-May and early October."

"That sounds nice, Ace," Logan said, "What else?"

"My mom can help me plan and ultimately orchestrate the wedding. Sookie can cater the reception. I want 4 or 5 bridesmaids and Davie and Martha can be the ring bearer and flower girl," Rory said and paused.

"4 or 5 bridesmaids?" Logan asked.

"Well, I haven't decided whether or not I am including my mother," Rory said, "I want to because she really is my best friend but I'm not sure it would work if I'm expecting her to orchestrate the wedding and be the mother of the bride."

"Who else are you thinking of asking?" Logan asked.

"Lane, Paris, Steph and Honor," Rory said, "Do you know who you would ask?"

"Colin and Finn obviously," Logan said, "Robert…after that I'm not sure. I supposed a few more guys from LDB or cousins or something."

"We'll need to come up with ushers too," Rory said.

Their wedding talk was cut short when Rory's phone started to ring. Rory groaned in protest as her Grandparents number flashed on her called id. Deciding it would be unwise to ignore the call Rory answered, "Hello?"

"Rory, this is your Grandmother. It was exceptionally rude of you and Logan to leave like that without even saying good-bye," Emily barked.

"I'm sorry about that Grandma but we just needed to get out of there. Logan and I just want people to be happy for us and accept our engagement. First his parents and then you and Grandpa get all bent out of shape over the situation," Rory said.

"Yes well, that is part of why I am calling you up," Emily said sounding rather pleased with herself, "Your Grandfather called Mitchum and talked some sense into him. It turns out he and Shira didn't realize that you are not only a Gilmore but a Hayden as well. The Huntzbergers are prepared to welcome both you back into the family."

Rory's eyes widened in alarm as she griped Logan's hand. After a moment she said, "Logan and I will have to think about that,"

"What's there to think about?" Emily asked.

"I think Logan and I might like to set some conditions that we'd be willing to come back under," Rory said, "We were quite thrilled with the way things had turned out before; with Logan being disowned and all. We didn't get to explain that to you before."

"I don't understand, Rory," Emily said.

"Logan being disowned granted us a lot more freedom to lead our lives the way we saw fit. There are too many reasons to explain at this point; but suffice to say that we had our reasons," Rory explained.

"I still can't understand why you wouldn't want to be part of the Huntzberger family," Emily said coolly.

While Rory was formulating a response Logan's cell phone started to ring. Looking at the caller id he rolled his eyes and mouthed the word, "Dad" to her. Logan had been listening in on her conversation with her grandmother and she was confident that he would know the correct things to say to his father.

"Rory? Are you still here?" Emily finally asked.

"Yes Grandma, I am." Rory said wearily.

"I understand that you and Logan are flying to London tonight to tie up some lose ends. Perhaps while you are away the two of you will come to your senses and rejoin the Huntzberger family," Emily said.

"Perhaps," Rory said simply, "Good-bye Grandma."

"Good-bye Rory," Emily replied formally.

Logan had wandered away from where Rory was sitting while he spoke to his father. She suspected that Logan didn't want her to hear the heated words being exchanged between them. While she waited for Logan to come back and fill her in on the conversation she dug in her purse for some aspirin; her head was beginning to pound. Standing up she stretched and waved at Logan to get his attention and motioned to him that she was going to buy herself some coffee at the nearby kiosk. When she returned to their seats a few minutes later with two steaming cups of coffee Logan was waiting for her. Wearily the two looked at one another knowing they had a lot to discuss.

"Just so we're on the same page," Rory began, "My grandfather called your father and it turns out your father did not know that I am also a Hayden. With this new information I am suddenly good enough for your family and they are ready to welcome both us back into the family."

"Naturally my father told it slightly different; trying to put himself and my mother in a better light; but yes; that is what I heard too," Logan said.

"I told my Grandmother that you and I weren't sure that we wanted back into the family and we would have some conditions to our return," Rory said.

"I heard you tell Emily that and repeated the same thing to my Dad. He was not pleased but said that he would be willing to negotiate. While we are away we need to figure out exactly what we want. We are meeting with my parents ten days from now," Logan said.

Rory sighed and closed her eyes, "I feel like I am living in a soap opera."

"I'm sorry Ace," Logan said, "Let's try to enjoy our trip as much as we can despite the choices we are being forced to make."

Rory smiled softly at him and rested her head on his shoulder. Turning toward her, he placed a kiss on her forehead. She shut her eyes and was asleep within minutes. Logan let her sleep while he contemplated what demands they were going to make of his family. When the flight began to board he woke Rory with a kiss. The two boarded the plane and assumed the position they'd held minutes before in their seats at the gate; Rory's head rested on his shoulder and quickly she fell back asleep before the plane even left the run way.

Author's Note: I know people were expecting this chapter to be in London—but they had a little bit more drama to deal with before they got out of Hartford. I promise that the next chapter will take place in London. Please review.


	9. London

Logan and Rory both slept during the majority of their 10 hour flight to London. Overall it was a very uneventful flight. Arriving at the London International Airport at 3 pm local time; each was well rested and ready for the day. Rory was glad they had come to London. While the issues they were dealing with still existed back home; here she could pretend that they didn't. She could be carefree, relax and enjoy her engagement to Logan.

"Ace, what do you want to do first?" Logan asked.

"Get some food!" Rory said.

Logan laughed and said, "I should have known. Okay, let's get some food. Then I suggest that we go to my office and get that over with right away,"

"If we're meeting with your parents next week is it wise for us to be cleaning out your office? What if you have to come back to London to work after our meeting with them?" Rory asked.

"I plan to make that one of my conditions to rejoining my family and the business; You and I are not to be on separate continents or opposite coasts of the same continent," Logan said with a smirk, "I plan on working in a lot of little things that will ultimately work to our advantage."

"How very clever of you," Rory said, "I like the way you think."

The couple had a quick lunch at one of Logan's favorite cafes near his office. While they ate the couple discussed sights they'd like to visit while they were in London and also where they might like to go should they decide to expand their trip beyond just London. The end of their meal was a let down when they had to go to Logan's office instead of to one of the many sights they had discussed.

When they arrived at Logan's office no one seemed aware of the fact that Logan would no longer be working there. People kept approaching him about projects he'd been working on and clients they wanted him to meet with. Logan decided that he should call an impromptu meeting with his staff to announce his departure from the company. Rory volunteered to stay behind in his office and start packing his personal effects into boxes.

"Thank you all for joining me on such short notice," Logan said to his now ex-colleagues, "I have returned today simply to clean out my office. I know this is sudden and I apologize for that. I have enjoyed my time here and working with each and every one of you. I wish you all the best and maybe I'll see you again someday."

At this point most of the staff members who had not worked closely with Logan got up and went back to work. Three people remained in the room. These were the people who Logan had slightly more personal contact with; the people he worked with on a daily basis. These were the people who were expecting to hear the whole reason behind his departure.

Logan closed the door behind the departing staff members and sat down at the table with Bobbi, Phillip and Nick.

"What happened?" Nick asked.

"On Friday when I got home to Hartford I proposed to my girlfriend. On Saturday night Rory and I meet my parents for dinner to share with them the news of our impending nuptials and they disowned me. I am no longer heir to the Huntzberger media conglomerate and as of that moment I no longer work here," Logan said.

"Wow," Phillip uttered, "What's wrong with your girl that your parents would disown you for getting engaged to her?"

"In their eyes she is not worth enough money or social status for someone in my position to bother marrying. Never mind that I love her or that she makes me happier than I've ever been," Logan said bitterly," The joke's on them though. They found out after the fact that she's heir to two elite Hartford families and not just the one whose name she wears. They have changed their tune and are now trying to make amends."

"So, you'll be back then," Bobbi said.

"I'm afraid that I probably won't be. I loved working with you guys and I hope that we can stay in touch but I am going to milk my parents mistake for all its worth. There are going to be a million conditions to me resuming my position as the heir and one of them will be that Rory and I need to be located on the same continent and if possible the same state and city as well."

"Perhaps after you get married the two of you can move here?" Bobbi asked hopefully.

"Rory is very close with her parents, her mother especially; a concept I'm afraid I don't understand; I could never take her across the ocean from them to live," Logan said. Standing up from the table he shook each of their hands and wished them good luck. He hurried back to his office and found Rory nearly finished with his packing.

"Wow Ace, you're quick," Logan said.

"The sooner we get out of here the better," she replied.

Logan wrapped his arms around her and said, "Thanks for coming with me to do this." He had leaned down to kiss her when they were interrupted by a knock at the door. Logan glanced toward the door as he pulled away from Rory. Seeing that it was Bobbi he leaned back toward her and said, "Let me just take care of this." Logan joined Bobbi out in the hallway.

"What can I do for you?" Logan asked, "We're about out of here."

Bobbi looked embarrassed and cast her eyes to the floor before saying, "I wanted to say good-bye to you properly. I have always felt that there was something between us. I am disappointed that you are leaving," With that said she leaned up and attempted to kiss Logan on the mouth. Logan moved his head to the side so she only got his cheek.

"Listen Bobbi," Logan said with barely masked fury, "I am sorry if you ever believed that there was something between us because there wasn't. You have been throwing yourself at me since the day I arrived and let me tell you; it isn't attractive; especially since I've made it perfectly clear that I am not interested. I can only assume that you came to kiss me good-bye in front of my fiancé so that you could cause problems; it must be your idea of retaliation since I never fell for any of your advances."

Watching with interest from the doorway Rory wasn't sure whether Bobbi was going to yell or cry. When Bobbi spotted Rory in doorway she got her answer. Bobbi moved quickly toward her and snarled, "So, you're the little fiancé? How old are you anyway, 18?" Whirling back toward Logan she spat at him, "You lost your chance to be with a real woman." Noticing that many co-workers were watching the scene she stomped off to her own office and slammed the door.

"Interesting place," Rory commented as Logan walked back into the office.

"Let's not talk about this here, Rory," Logan said. He quickly packed his remaining items. He and Rory each picked up a box and quickly walked to the elevator. They went down to the company mail room and Logan asked the attendant to please ship the boxes back to his apartment in Hartford. The couple left the office and headed to Logan's London apartment. When they arrived in the parking garage Logan shut off the car and turned to face Rory.

"Nothing happened between Bobbi and me," Logan said honestly.

"I know that, but thank you for reassuring me," Rory said with a smile.

"I thought you might wonder after the whole bridesmaids incident…wait a minute, you know?" Logan asked.

"Yes, I know. If you really were having an affair or a fling with Bobbi would you really be stupid enough to drag me with you to clean out your office?" Rory asked, " No, you would have brought me to your apartment and left me there while you went to the office and said your good-byes with her in private."

Logan was quiet for a minute then said, "Thank you for trusting me, Rory. I know I hurt you before; but I didn't do it intentionally."

"I know. That is why this is different. As long as we are together I know that you will not cheat on me," Rory said.

The couple grabbed their luggage out of the trunk and headed to Logan's apartment. Their plan was to relax a little before dinner; which Logan said he had all planned and it was a surprise. When they entered Logan's apartment Rory was surprised by how big it was. Somehow she had always pictured him living in a cramped little apartment. But, he was a Huntzberger and got only the best. This apartment lacked his personal style that their apartment back in Hartford had though. Rory glanced around the nearly empty rooms looking for some sign that he'd been living here and finally found one. On the nightstand in his bedroom was a framed picture of the two of them from the Valentine's weekend they'd spent at Martha's Vineyard. They were looking at each other and laughing; they looked exceptionally happy. Picking up the picture to study it closer Rory's eyes misted a little. She knew that he loved her and he said that he missed her when he was away but it was nice to have a little proof.

"Home sweet home," Logan joked as he followed her into the bedroom. Noticing her wet eyes he sat on the bed and pulled her onto his lap, "I thought it was a really nice picture of us, but you're right my hair is a little weird in this one."

Laughing a little at his attempt to cheer her back up she set the picture back on the table and passionately kissed him. Pushing him back onto the bed she straddled him. She continued kissing him until they were both breathless. She pulled away and said, "Thank you."

Clearly confused Logan said, "For?"

"This is going to sound silly but I was never really sure that you missed me when you were here. It always sounded like you having a lot of fun. Seeing this picture proves to me that in some small way you must have missed me at least a little bit," Rory said leaning back in to kiss him.

"Are you kidding, Ace. I missed you like crazy. I was miserable most of the time I was here. Hearing from you made me so happy, which is why I sounded like I was having a good time. If this picture got that kind of response out of you just wait until I show you the one I keep in my briefcase," Logan said.

"I want to see it now," Rory said.

"I didn't bring my briefcase, remember?" Logan said.

"Well, when we get home then," Rory said before she resumed kissing him.

Logan shifted and rolled so that he was on top. He grasped her hands and pulled her up from the bed. Without removing their lips from each other they made quick work of helping to remove each other's clothing. Logan pulled away just long enough to pull back the covers on the bed and usher Rory underneath them. He fell in beside her and pulled her to him. After a bit more feverous making-out Logan's mouth caressed her chest while his hands delved further down. Rory wrapped her hands around him and sucked on his neck. It wasn't long until neither could wait much longer.

"Did you bring condoms?" Logan panted.

"You don't have any here?" Rory asked teasingly.

"Ace," Logan growled warningly.

"In my suitcase the outside pocket," Rory said.

Logan quickly hopped out of bed and unzipped her suitcase. Rory whistled at him appreciatively.

"You're gonna pay Ace," Logan snarled playfully at her as he slid back into the bed.

"I hope so," Rory said clearly enjoying herself. She granted him access and he quickly moved between her legs and slid inside her.

Afterward they lay panting and sweaty on the bed.

"So, where are we going tonight?" Rory asked.

"I'm not telling," Logan replied with a smirk.

"You don't think I deserve to know after that?" Rory pouted.

"You totally do, but that doesn't mean I'm going to tell you," Logan said.

"What should I wear?" Rory asked fishing for clues.

"You should wear a dress," Logan said.

"Okay," Rory said, "I'm going to jump into the shower."

Logan tightened his embrace around her and kissed her, "I love you," he said before letting her get up.

A couple hours later they were dressed and ready to go out for the night. Logan had two things planned for their evening. He told Rory about the first as they drove to the launch site. He was taking her on the Bateaux London Dinner Cruise on the Thames River.

"So we get to eat dinner on a boat while we listen to music and see the sights along the Thames?" Rory asked,

"Yep," Logan said proudly.

"Cool. What else are we doing?" Rory asked.

"You mean the dinner cruise and what we did back at my apartment aren't enough?" Logan asked pretending to be wounded.

"They are, but you said you had two things planned," Rory explained.

"The second is still a secret," Logan said.

The dinner cruise was a big hit. They slowly floated down the Thames for two and a half hours. They ate dinner and listened to jazz as the sun slowly set in the west. When twilight arrived lights lit up along the shore giving the cruise a more romantic feel. Logan even asked Rory to dance. They slow danced to a couple songs before returning to their table for dessert. When the cruise returned to the launch site Rory was disappointed that it was over until she remembered that they still had another destination.

"That was the nicest date you have ever taken me on," Rory told Logan.

"I'm glad you liked it, but it's not over yet," Logan said as he opened the passenger side door for her. "By the way, can I blindfold you until we get there? I want you to be surprised."

Rory agreed to the blindfold and they set off. It was only about a 20 minute ride. Logan parked the car and carefully helped a blindfolded Rory out of the car. Logan positioned her for optimal viewing of their second destination and on the count of three removed her blindfold.

Rory shrieked a little and said, "The Millennium Wheel—cool I've wanted to come here since I saw this on the 7th season of the Amazing Race!"

Logan paid for their tickets and they waited in line to board the giant Ferris wheel.

"Did you know that one revolution on this thing take 30 minutes?" Rory asked excited.

Logan nodded at her, grinning over her enthusiasm, "Yes, did you know that it doesn't stop so people can get on? It moves so slowly that people can just walk on and off at ground level."

"I heard that sometimes it does stop so that the elderly or handicapped passengers can get on safely," Rory said.

"You researched this on-line didn't you," Logan said.

"Guilty," Rory said, "Did you know that there are 32 passenger capsules and they are all sealed and air conditioned?"

"Ace, we're up," Logan said as he handed their tickets to the attendant.

They climbed into their capsule, the door sealed shut and they slowly started moving upward. The view was amazing and Rory wasted no time with her digital camera. They pointed out sights to each other and made plans of other places they wanted to visit on their trip.

"Thank you Logan, this is amazing," Rory said as the leaned in to kiss him.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it," Logan said after retuning her kiss.

"I hope our life can always be like this," Rory said, "Us together experiencing new things together."

"Me too Rory, me too," Logan said.

**Author's Note:** If you want to see a picture of the Millennium Wheel which is also known as the London Eye--please look for the link in my profile. Please leave reviews. Let me know of some European destinations you'd like to see them visit before they have to return home to all the drama.


	10. Sights and Decisions

The next morning Rory awoke to the sound of an alarm clock's obnoxious beeping. Burying her head beneath her pillow she groaned in protest. Having already been out of bed for nearly an hour Logan chuckled as he hit the snooze button on the alarm clock and chided, "Come on Ace; we've been playing this game for an hour. I thought we agreed to get up early today." Unintelligible groaning could be heard coming from under the pillow. Logan left the bedroom to fetch a large cup of coffee for his groggy fiancé. Upon returning to the bedroom he placed the coffee on the nightstand and jumped onto the bed.

"Logan," Rory whined.

"Rory," Logan replied in the same sulky voice Rory was employing, "We really need to get moving if we are going to stick to our schedule."

"I know," Rory groaned, "You should have thought about that last night when I wanted to go to sleep and you had other ideas."

Logan smirked at her and said, "I didn't hear any complaining last night."

"I didn't say that I didn't enjoy it," Rory said with a grin, "You just need to expect that I'll be tired the next morning if you won't let me get my sleep."

"Coffee's on the nightstand, Ace," Logan said as he got back up off the bed.

"Where are you going?" Rory asked.

"I've got 4 suitcases to take with me when we leave here. I was going to haul a couple of them to the car," Logan said.

"You're all packed?" Rory asked.

"Pretty much," Logan replied, "Besides clothes I didn't have much here. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Rory got out of bed and took a long drink of her coffee. She rummaged through her suitcase and selected an outfit for the day. Entering the bathroom she turned the shower on and let the water warm up. Logan was right; they did have a busy day ahead of them. First, they needed to visit the management office for the apartment complex. There Logan needed to sign some papers to break his lease and turn in his keys. Rory still had a whole list of sights she wanted to see before they left London; which meant they only had 11 hours left to see them. Logan and Rory had decided to squeeze Salzburg, Austria and Venice, Italy into their trip. Tonight they were getting on a train to Salzburg. Rory quickly showered and dressed. She could hear Logan flipping through channels on the television as she applied her make-up. She dried her hair, styled it and quickly packed everything back into her suitcase.

She hauled her suitcase to the front door and announced, "I'm ready, let's go." Rory glanced around and said, "You said you're all packed but what about this coffee pot and the television, they aren't yours?"

"No, this is a pre-furnished apartment. It is set up specifically for people like me. All the little necessities are already here, I just bring my personal effects. It's kind of like a hotel I guess," Logan explained.

"Nifty!" Rory said, "You do realize that you're going to have to feed me soon right?"

Logan laughed as he picked up his remaining suitcases and opened the front door, "Of course, Ace. We'll bring our bags to the car, then we'll visit the management office and finally we'll stop somewhere and eat breakfast and plan our sight-seeing schedule for the day."

Rory and Logan's morning had been a whirlwind of sightseeing. They were trying to squeeze as many sights in as they possibly could. It was early afternoon and the couple had already seen Big Ben, The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey. Rory's list still included more sights that it was going to be possible for them to see before they need to board their train this evening. The couple stopped for lunch and as they ate they prioritized the rest of the sights on her list.

"So what all is left Ace?" Logan asked.

"Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court and Stratford-Upon-Avon," Rory listed.

"Which sight is most important for you to see today?" Logan asked.

"That is a tough choice but I'm going to have to say that Stratford-Upon-Avon is probably my number one pick, but Madame Tussaud's is a close second" Rory said.

"Okay, here is what I suggest," Logan said, "We have about 5 hours until we have to catch our train to Salzburg. Stratford-Upon-Avon is outside of London and we'd have to take a train to get there and that would eat up valuable time. I know it is your number one pick but can we save it until the day we fly back to Hartford from here?"

"I can wait, until then," Rory said.

"We should be able to squeeze everything else in if we just save Shakespeare's birthplace until then. Let's do Madame Tussaud's first so that we're sure to have enough time to enjoy it. We can always do a really quick stop at Kensington Palace and Hampton Court if we need to and still do them justice," Logan said.

"Sound like a plan," Rory agreed.

Logan and Rory ended up spending close to four hours at Madame Tussaud's.

"That was amazing," Rory gushed, "They were so life-like."

"What was your favorite?" Logan asked.

"Pirates of the Caribbean with Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly. What was your favorite?" Rory asked.

"I liked the interactive celebrities. Making J-Lo blush was cool," Logan said with a smirk.

"Yeah, what did you say to her anyway," Rory asked.

"That is my secret," Logan replied.

Looking at her watch Rory exclaimed, "We only have an hour until we have to catch our train; how did that happen?"

"Time flies when you're having fun," Logan replied, "Can we check out Kensington Palace and Hampton Court at a later date too?"

"I supposed," Rory sighed.

"I'm sorry Ace," Logan said, wrapping an arm around her, "We just tried to squeeze too much in."

"That's okay. Besides, it's not like we won't be back," Rory said.

"That's right, Ace; I'll always take you where ever you want to go," Logan said, "Right now I'm hoping you want to go to the car rental place so I can return my car."

"Sound great," Rory said.

The couple returned the car that Logan had been renting through out his stay in London. The car rental company offered a free shuttle service to the train station or the airport that Logan and Rory took advantage of. Arriving at the train station the couple tracked down a porter to help them stow their luggage; then they boarded the train. Logan had reserved them a unit in a sleeper car for their trip to Salzburg. It would be an 11 hour trip including about an hour stop in Paris. They could have flown from London to Austria but Rory had once told Logan that someday she wanted to travel somewhere by train. The couple also had a lot to discuss for their return to Hartford and their meeting with his parents. This might present a good opportunity to decide some things.

Rory and Logan settled themselves in their car until the train left from the station. Once the train was underway they planned to head toward the dinning car to have dinner. Logan watched in amusement as Rory explored their unit. Finally she settled herself on the seat opposite Logan and said, "I feel like Harry Potter!"

"Who now?" Logan asked.

"You don't know who Harry Potter is?" Rory asked in surprise.

"Never heard of him; should I have?" Logan replied.

"I think so, yes." Rory said.

"Who is he then?" Logan asked.

"Harry Potter is a wizard who attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Rory said as if this explained everything." Seeing that Logan looked completely perplexed she added, "He is the main character in the Harry Potter books."

"Hmmmm; are they good?" Logan asked.

"They are great!" Rory exclaimed, "I own them all, I will lend them to you."

The train lurched to a start and started down the tracks. Rory rose from her seat and waved to the people on the platform as they pulled out of the station.

"Did you know them?" Logan asked sarcastically.

"No," Rory said and smiled, "Let's go have dinner."

The couple enjoyed watching the scenery flash by as they ate their dinner in the dinning car. During dessert Logan warned Rory that he wanted to discuss the meeting with their parents when they returned to their unit. Rory agreed but quickly became subdued. When they returned to their unit Logan folded down the seats on each wall turning them into beds. Logan settled on one and Rory on the other. Logan took a notebook out of his bag and faced Rory.

"You're taking notes?" Rory asked.

"I want to be sure that I don't forget any of our demands when we meet with them," Logan said.

"Okay, where do we begin?" Rory asked.

"Well, first…where are we going to live when you finish college?" Logan asked.

"I don't know," Rory said, "Why is that important."

"I thought if we knew we could say in our list that this is where we plan to live and I would demand that my job with the company be near that city," Logan explained.

"I was kind of thinking that we could live halfway between Hartford and New York. Like in New Haven or Bridgeport," Rory said.

"That sounds good," Logan said.

"Good, I'm glad we agree," Rory said.

"There are going to be a lot of conditions that revolve around my return as the heir to the Huntzberger media conglomerate but my most important one is this," Logan said as he began to write, "Rory and Logan plan to live somewhere between Hartford and New York. Logan's permanent job must be located in either Hartford or New York. Logan can go on assignment to other locations but cannot be away from his wife for more than 2 weeks a time."

"Two weeks!" Rory exclaimed.

"Should I change it to one week?" Logan asked.

"Yes, please do," Rory responded.

"Okay, done. What other conditions do we have?" Logan asked.

"Well, I have a few," Rory said, "For starters I want to plan my own wedding. I do not want a high society wedding where the majority of the people there were invited because they are in business with your father or my grandfather. I want a small, personal wedding."

"Okay," Logan said scribbling on his legal pad, "Done, next."

"Next, I think we can fully expect that my grandparents if not your parents will try and buy us a house as a wedding gift. I would prefer to buy our own house. Or, if they absolutely insist on buying us a house, we need to be involved in the process and able to make the final decision," Rory said.

"Good one, Ace," Logan said, grinning, "Isn't this kind of fun?"

Rory smiled back at him and said, "It's not the most fun I've ever had, but yeah it is kind of nice to feel like we are taking some control of our future."

"Setting this aside for a minute," Logan said, "When are we going to get married?"

"I don't know, when do you want to get married," Rory asked.

"Honestly," Logan began, "I want to get married to you as soon as possible. If I thought that you would agree to elope, we would probably already be married,"

Rory looked surprised and said, "Whoever said you feared commitment had no idea what they were talking about."

Logan got up from his bed and joined Rory on hers. Pulling her close to him he kissed her and whispered, "I can't wait until I can call you my wife."

Rory kissed him back and replied, "I can't wait either. But admit to me that part of you wants to get married quickly to prove to your parents that you are completely serious about this."

"A little tiny bit; but in no way does that take away from the fact that I am just ready to be with you forever," Logan said.

The couple kissed some more until Logan broke away and said, "So, when are we getting married?"

"Well, it's mid-July now. I start school at the end of August. I don't want a big wedding and my Mom will be a huge help. I think we can still have an outdoor wedding if we get married at the end of September," Rory said.

Logan pulled his Blackberry out of his pocket and scrolled to the calendar. "How about Saturday, September 29th?"

"Sounds perfect," Rory said.

"Sounds like you should call your Mom and start planning we're getting married in just over two months from now!" Logan said excitedly.

"Not yet," Rory said brazenly as she pulled him back toward her on the small bed.

**Author's Note**: Please review—I love to hear how I am doing or if anyone has any good ideas for me to incorporate into my story. Thanks!


	11. Train Ride

Logan and Rory had left London via train over four hours ago and were nearing Paris. Their train had a one hour stand-by in Paris before it continued on to Salzburg. One hour wasn't enough time to see any sights but the couple planned to disembark from the train anyway. Logan knew of a small café that served great coffee just outside the train station. Their plan was to have a cup of coffee while enjoying the view, before continuing on. Logan left Rory at an outside table and went to purchase their coffee; Rory pulled out her cell phone. Local time was about 11 pm; Rory calculated that in Stars Hollow it was only 5 pm and therefore safe to try and call her mom.

Rory listened to her Mom's phone ringing and finally heard, "Rory! How's London?"

"Hey, Mom. London was good," Rory replied.

"Was? Where are you now?" Lorelai asked.

"We're having coffee in Paris and then we're off to Salzburg," Rory boasted.

"You stopped in Paris just to have coffee? Color me jealous," Lorelai pouted.

"We decided to include Salzburg and Venice on our trip. We left London via train four hours ago. The train has a one-hour stop in Paris and so we decided to have coffee while we are here," Rory explained.

"Still jealous," Lorelai whined.

"Anyway," Rory said, "I'm calling to tell you that Logan and I have set a wedding date."

"Aw, Hon, that's great! When's the big day?" Lorelai asked.

"September 29th," Rory announced excitedly.

"Of next year, I'm assuming?" Lorelai asked.

"No, of this year," Rory said.

"Do you realize that is only two months from now?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes," Rory responded, "I know it's soon. That is why I am enlisting you as my wedding planner extraordinaire; if you are up for the challenge,"

"Wow," Lorelai breathed; for once in her life speechless.

"I know," Rory said, "If it's okay with you, we'd like to hold the wedding and reception at the Dragonfly."

"I would love that," Lorelai said.

"Are you okay Mom?" Rory asked, slightly concerned over how subdued her Mom was being.

"Yeah, I just can't believe that my baby is getting married in two months!" Lorelai said.

"Are you sure?" Rory asked, "I'm probably being insensitive again. Getting engaged and married so quickly after your break-up with Luke. I'm so sorry; I didn't mean for things to work out this way."

"I'm not even thinking about that," Lorelai said, "I'm just stunned that it's all happening so fast."

"Just be glad that Logan hasn't talked me into eloping… the whole mess with his parents has him seriously considering it," Rory said.

"I'm sorry about that. I know that my Dad called Mitchum and informed them that you are a Hayden as well and magically you were acceptable; apparently," Lorelai said, "So, are you and Logan back in the family yet?"

"Not quite. When Grandma and Mitchum called with the news we informed them that we had some conditions to our return to the family," Rory said.

"Very sly; what are the conditions?" Lorelai asked.

"We're still working them out but I'll give you the highlights," Rory said, "One, Logan and I plan to live somewhere between Hartford and New York; so Logan's job needs to be located in either Hartford or New York. Logan can go on assignment to other locations but not for more than one week at a time. Two, we would like to plan our own wedding and it is to be small and personal. We don't want the majority of our guests to be people who are in business with Grandpa or Mitchum. Three, in the event that they decide to buy us a house as a wedding gift; we'd prefer that they didn't. And if they still feel that they must; we insist on being involved in the process and have the final say."

"You guys have come up with some good ones," Lorelai said.

"And we're not through yet," Rory said.

"Rory, I would love to help you plan your wedding and coordinate things," Lorelai said.

"Thanks Mom," Rory said, "Will you ask Sookie to cater for us?"

"She'll be thrilled," Lorelai replied.

"Good," Rory said, "Listen Mom, I should go. We only have a little bit longer before we have to head back to the train."

"Enjoy the rest of your trip; incase I don't get to talk to you again," Lorelai said.

"Thanks Mom," Rory said, "Love you!"

"Love you too, kid," Lorelai replied, "Bye."

"Bye, Mom!" Rory said.

Rory pressed end on her phone and set it on the table in front of her. She took a long drink of the coffee Logan had set down in front of her 10 minutes ago.

"Good conversation with your Mom?" Logan asked even though he had been privy to the majority of it.

"Yeah, she is excited for us," Rory said, "I think she is a little shocked that we are getting married so soon but I think she understands. She is going to help me plan and we can use the Dragonfly for both the ceremony and the reception."

"Sounds like you're going to have a lot to work on when we get back home," Logan said.

"Yeah, but it's all worth it," Rory said smiling.

"I'll try to help out as much as I can," Logan said.

"I'm sure my Mom and I can handle it," Rory said,

"Good, I wanted to offer; but I'm pretty sure I'd stink at this wedding stuff," Logan said, "But, I insist that I be allowed to plan the honeymoon myself."

"You do realize that I have school and won't be able to be gone for more than 2 or 3 days, right?" Rory asked.

"Yes. That is why I am thinking that we'll take our actual honeymoon over your Christmas break from school," Logan said, "We'll go somewhere right after the wedding just to get away but only for a few days."

"So, where are we going?" Rory asked.

"Do you really think I'm going to tell you?" Logan asked.

"You don't even know yet, do you?" Rory asked in reply.

"I have some ideas; but specifically, no," Logan confessed.

The couple finished their coffee and snapped a few pictures in which the Eiffel Tower was visible in the background. Their train would be leaving the station bound for Salzburg in just over 15 minutes and they needed to get back. They walked slowly, hands clasped between them; enjoying the warm Paris evening.

"Maybe we should come to Paris for our honeymoon," Rory suggested.

"Maybe, Ace," Logan replied, "But you'll just have to wait and see."

Logan stopped abruptly and pulled Rory to him. Dipping her backwards he kissed her passionately. They continued kissing as he pulled her back vertical. After a few minutes he pulled away leaving her breathless and said, "We need to hurry or we're going to miss our train." Again he grasped her hand and they ran toward the station. With just a minute to spare the couple collapsed onto one of the bed in their unit. Denying her time to catch her breath; Logan pulled her close and again kissed her fervently. As he kissed her his hands found their way under her shirt. Her hands were threaded into his golden hair. Logan pulled away sitting up and pulled her onto his lap. Straddling him she began unbuttoning his shirt when her cell phone began ringing in her pocket.

"I thought you shut that off," Logan said between kisses, "Don't answer it."

"I forgot to shut it off," Rory replied, "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Ace," Logan panted, "Just keep kissing me."

The phone stopped ringing and was quiet for a moment before it started ringing again. The couple did their best to ignore it through three more ring cycles before Logan finally pulled away and growled in frustration, "For Pete's sake, answer the damn thing."

"Hello?" Rory snarled into the phone without looking at the caller id.

"Rory?" A drunken voice inquired.

"Who is this?" Rory asked.

"It's me, Dean," he said.

Rory's stomach clenched and she coldly asked, "Why are you calling me?"

"I wanted to give you another chance," Dean explained.

"Another chance for what?" Rory spat.

"To be with me," Dean said.

"I don't want to be with you. We've been over for a long time," Rory replied.

"It will never be over between us Rory. Don't you understand? I love you," Dean said.

"Well I don't love you. Please don't contact me ever again," Rory said.

"Wait Rory, I need you," Dean said, starting to cry, "Lindsay and me are over."

"I'm sorry to hear that but I am engaged to Logan and I love him very much," Rory explained, "Please don't call me anymore; I'm not going to change my mind."

"Richie Rich doesn't deserve you," Dean shouted into the phone.

"You don't know anything about Logan. Please leave me alone," Rory said.

Without waiting to hear Dean's response Rory pressed end and turned off her phone, "I'm so sorry you had to hear that, Logan," Rory said.

He had moved to the other bed and sat with his arms folded across his chest. He was wearing an expression she'd never seen on him before and it scared her. Suddenly Logan stood up. Quickly he buttoned his shirt and slid his feet back into his shoes. "I need some air," he told her. Brushing hastily past her he exited their unit leaving her there alone.

Rory looked around the small unit unsure of what to do next. She adjusted her clothing and nervously ran her fingers through her tousled hair. Wrapping her arms around her middle she sat on the edge of the bed and let her tears fall. Why did Dean have to mess everything up? Why did she have to forget to turn off her phone? Why didn't she check the caller id? Rory let herself wallow for a few minutes before wiping away the tears and pulling herself back together. She wanted to go after him but he clearly needed some time alone. She pulled a book out of her bag, hoping it would help distract her until he returned.

Logan had found his way to a small balcony of sorts between cars. He stood with his back pressed against the wall; the wind ruffling his hair. Angrily he slammed the heel of his left foot into the wall behind him. How dare he call her, Logan fumed. Logan knew he was being irrational and yet, he couldn't help it. He had never felt like this before; it was new, but he still knew exactly what it was. Jealousy. He was jealous that this creep had ever owned part of Rory's heart. It didn't matter that it was all in the past or that Rory had confessed her love for Logan to Dean; he was jealous. He knew he had no right to feel this way or to take it out on Rory; but somehow he couldn't help it. He let his mind spin some more; rational thought starting to creep back in. Suddenly he realized that while he had never had to feel this way before, Rory probably had. He thought back to the bridesmaid incident and the girl he brought to her grandparents vow renewal. And yet, she was still with him. Pulling himself back together he straightened up and headed back to their unit. He needed to make this right between them.

Quietly he slipped back into their unit. Rory was asleep, a book open beside her on the bed. Logan sat down on the opposite bed and watched her. She was so beautiful. Sometimes he couldn't believe that she was his. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him. He needed to do everything in his power to always protect what they had and put it above all else. He could not allow his insecurities ruin what they had worked so hard for. Without her, he knew that his life would be meaningless. It was through her that he had learned what it really meant to love and to be loved. She had also taught him that his money meant nothing and that some of the best times one could have were free. He needed her and he only hoped that she needed him just as much. He removed his shoes and lay down on the bed he was currently sitting on. He desperately wanted to lie down next to her; but he didn't want to wake her.

Hours later Rory woke with a start; remembering the events that had occurred earlier; ending with Logan walking out of their unit. Rising from her bed in the darkness she failed to see Logan's shoes lying on the floor between their beds. Having never been graceful Rory was not able to recover her balance when she tripped over the shoes. Shrieking in anticipation of the crash; Rory landed on top of a startled Logan.

"Ouch," groaned Rory as she tried to untangle herself from Logan. Finally free and reassured that Logan had found his way back to their unit Rory turned to climb into her own bed. Understanding her motive Logan grabbed her arm and said, "No, stay." He pulled her under his covers with him and held her close. He could tell that she was crying and he knew that he was responsible.

"I'm so sorry," Logan whispered, "I did not handle what happened earlier well."

"I'm sorry he had to call and ruin our vacation," Rory said.

"He'll only ruin our vacation if we left him." Logan said, "And we are done dwelling on him."

"What happened before?" Rory asked in regard to Logan storming out earlier.

"I'm embarrassed to admit this; but I was jealous. Terribly, horribly jealous that he ever owned any part of your heart," Logan said.

"That was in the past. It's only you now," Rory said.

"I know," Logan agreed, "I couldn't help it though. It's weird. I've never felt that way before."

"Never?" Rory asked in surprise.

"Never," Logan confirmed, "But feeling that way makes me understand how horrible the bridesmaid incident must have been for you. Not to mention the girl I brought to your Grandparents vow renewal to or the girl I brought to the costume party at the pub…"

"Okay, let's not recap all the times I've had cause to be jealous," Rory said.

"I'm so sorry for tonight and I'm sorry for any of the times in the past that I've hurt you or made you jealous," Logan said.

"Apology accepted, "Rory replied, "Let's just promise to be honest with each other and trust each other and that should help prevent jealousy in the future."

"I promise," Logan whispered.

"Me too," Rory said.

**Author's Note**: As Always, please review. I love feedback and I love ideas to enhance the story. Thanks!


	12. The Sound of Music

When Logan and Rory awoke the next morning they could see the Alps flashing past their windows. For a while the couple continued to lie curled together in the small bed watching the scenery. Eventually Rory, rolled over to face Logan and asked, "Do we have time to eat breakfast in the dinning car before we get to Salzburg?"

"Always thinking about your stomach," Logan teased as he gently kissed her on the lips.

"Well, a Gilmore Girl has got to eat," Rory replied.

"Yeah, let's go. We can discuss our plans while we're eating," Logan said.

The couple quickly freshened up a bit before heading to the dining car. They had slept in their clothes and were planning on checking in to a hotel as soon as they arrived in Salzburg to shower and change. Over their pancakes and coffee the couple discussed which sights they would like to see in Salzburg. Neither of them had been to Salzburg previously and they were anxious to explore the old cultural city together. Upon finishing their breakfast the couple had an hour before the train would reach Salzburg.

"Should we head back?" Rory asked as she stood from the table.

"You go, I'm going to sit in here and make a few phone calls," Logan said.

"To who?" Rory asked.

"I'm going to call my father and confirm our meeting with them. I also want to tell him that I have cleaned out my office in London. I should also call Colin and Finn to check in," Logan explained.

"Okay, well I'm going to go and call Steph then," Rory said.

"Tell her I said hello," Logan said.

"Tell Colin and Finn that I said hello, too," Rory replied.

"Will do, Ace," Logan said with a wink.

Back in their unit Rory turned on her phone and discovered that she had three new voicemails. Sighing, she prepared to listen to them. She was hoping that none of them were from Dean. The first message was from her Grandmother asking if a wedding date had been set so they could start planning. Rory rolled her eyes and deleted the message as her Grandmother launched into a lecture about why it wasn't proper for herself and Logan to be traveling together alone before they were married. The second message was from Paris demanding to know where Rory was. Even though they no longer lived together Paris worried about Rory if she didn't hear from her every few days. It was sweet in kind of a strange Paris sort of way. The final message was from her Mother demanding to know why Dean was drunkenly calling the house insisting to speak to Rory. Forgetting that local time in Hartford was currently around one in the morning; Rory dialed Steph.

"Hello?" Steph screamed into the phone; obviously out at a club or a party.

"Hey Steph," Rory loudly replied.

"Hold on, I can't hear you," Steph replied. Rory could hear Steph making her way through a crowd, and suddenly silence.

"Hello?" Steph repeated.

"Hey Steph; it's Rory," Rory said.

"Hey, Rory," Steph said with a slight slur in her voice.

"What are you doing?" Rory asked.

"Colin, Finn and I are in New York at this new club," Steph explained.

"Cool. I'm sorry to call so late. I forgot about the time difference," Rory said.

"Time difference? Where are you?" Steph asked.

"Near Salzburg," Rory said, "Where did you think I was?"

"I just figured that you and Logan were still holed up in your apartment; making up for lost time; if you catch my meaning," Steph said.

Rory blushed and replied, "I catch your meaning, Steph. Logan and I left for London on Sunday so that he could clean out his apartment and office. He's not coming back to work in London."

"His Dad is letting him come home?" Steph asked incredulously.

"Not exactly," Rory said. She explained to Steph the whole debacle of Logan getting disowned when he announced that he was marrying Rory. She also explained that once the Huntzbergers realized that she was a Hayden as well as a Gilmore they were fine with the union. And finally Rory explained the plan she and Logan had concocted to turn things in their favor when they rejoined the family.

"Sounds like you guys have figured out how to get the best of both worlds," Steph said, "Listen, Gilmore; not that I'm not thrilled to hear from you, but why are you calling?"

"Oh, of course," Rory said, "I was hoping that you'd be a bridesmaid in our wedding."

Steph squealed something unintelligible into the phone, which Rory was holding a foot from her ear. "Should I take that as a yes?" Rory asked.

"I'd love to," Steph replied, "I take it you two set a date."

"Yes, we're getting married in just over two months," Rory said.

"You're kidding," Steph said.

"No, September 29th," Rory said, "I'm hoping that the weekend after Logan and I return you, me and my other bridesmaids can head to New York and do some dress shopping."

"That sounds fabulous. Don't worry about the details. I'll make us some appointments and get us a hotel so we can spend the night," Steph gushed.

"Thanks Steph," Rory said.

Back in the dinning car Logan was still sitting at their table. He had realized just in time that considering the time difference he would not be wise to call his father just now; instead he called his office and left him a voicemail. He then called ahead to Salzburg and made several arrangements for their time there. Next he tried to call Colin and Finn knowing that at this hour they would still be up. Finn had answered his phone quickly telling him that now was not a good time and handed the phone off to Colin.

"Hello?" Colin said.

"Colin, how are you?" Logan asked.

"Logan?" Colin asked, "Let me get somewhere quieter, hold on."

Logan listened as the loud pounding music dimmed and finally Colin came back on the line, "Logan?"

"Still here Colin," Logan said, "You guys sound like you're somewhere fun."

"Yeah, Finn and Steph talked me into coming to a new club in New York," Colin said, "Finn couldn't talk because he was busy stalking some redhead. Where are you?"

"Europe," Logan said, "Remember, I left you a message about our plans."

"Right," Colin said, "I forgot."

"So, Rory and I picked a wedding date," Logan said, "I was hoping that you and Finn would be groomsmen."

"I can't speak for Finn, but I would be honored," Colin said, "When's the big day?"

"September 29th; just over two months from now," Logan said.

Colin whistled and said, "That's soon man; are you sure you're ready for this?"

"I really am," Logan said with a smile.

A short time later the couple found themselves disembarking from the train in the charming Alpine city of Salzburg, Austria. Logan had taken the liberty of calling from the train and booking them a room at the best luxury hotel in the city; the Sacher Salzburg Hotel. Rory had insisted that they didn't need to stay somewhere so fancy; but Logan insisted; "after all," he'd said, "last night we slept in our clothes on a train." They took a cab from the train station to the hotel which was located on the shore of the Salzach River with impressive views of the Old Town. Anxious to begin their sight-seeing the couple wasted no time in showering and preparing for the day.

As they left the hotel Rory scanned the travel book about Austria that she had purchased at a book shop in London. "We are just down the road from the Festival Halls," Rory informed Logan.

"The Festival Halls are the site of the annual Salzburg Festival's main performances," Rory read from her book, "Did you know that they are the site of the festival in the movie, The Sound of Music where the Von Trapps sing their farewell to Austria? They performed specifically in the Felsenreitschule which is one of three halls."

Logan grinned at Rory and said, "I'm trying to think of a polite way to tell you that you are a dork."

Rory pouted a little and replied, "I am not a dork; I'm just enthusiastic."

"No, you're a dork. But you're my dork and I love you," Logan said, taking hold of her hand.

Not letting Logan's name calling deter her, Rory said, "I love The Sound of Music. Did you know that most of it was filmed here in Salzburg? I think we should make sure to see all the sights that were in the movie."

"Sounds like a plan, Ace," Logan said.

The couple spent the majority of the day seeing the sights from the Sound of Music. They started with the Festival Halls where the Von Trapps performed before they fled the country. They visited St. Peter's Abbey and Benedictine Convent where Maria began the movie as a novice, studying to become a nun. They visited the Mirabell Gardens and Palace where the scenes of Maria and the children singing were shot. They stopped at St. Peter's Cemetery where the family hid after fleeing the Festival Halls. They toured the grounds of Hellbrunn Palace, specifically to see the gazebo where 'I am 16 going on 17,' was filmed. And finally they visited Leopoldskron Palace, of which the façade facing the lake represented the Von Trapp residence.

"Well, I think we've seen every sight there is to see in relation to the Sound of Music," Rory said, "I hope you weren't too bored."

"I actually found it very interesting," Logan said, "But you're wrong there is one more sight that we should see."

"I'm dying to ask what sight that might be; but I know from experience that you won't tell me. And I'm guessing that a blindfold is in my very near future," Rory said.

"You know me too well, Ace," Logan smirked, "But, we need to catch a cab before I make you put on the blindfold."

The couple wandered back toward the hotel where they were sure to be able to catch a cab. On their way they passed the Horse Fountain in the Residenzplaz; another attraction featured in the movie.

"We barely had lunch as we rushed from one sight to the next, are we actually eating dinner tonight?" Rory asked.

"Not to worry; I have awesome dinner plans arranged." Logan said.

Back at the hotel Logan flagged down a cab and talked in hushed tones to the driver about where he wanted to go. Ushering Rory into the cab, he promptly blindfolded her.

"This better be good, Logan," Rory admonished, "I am getting tired of being blindfolded."

"It will be," Logan responded.

It was nearly a half an hour drive to the town of Mondsee. The cab driver pulled up in front of their destination. Logan helped Rory out of the car and checked that the blindfold was still securely in place. Steering her through the heavy doors he positioned her at the end of the long central aisle.

"Wait here," he whispered to her before he quickly moved toward the front of the building. When he'd reached his spot he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Okay, Ace; remove your blindfold."

Carefully Rory removed the blindfold and studied her surroundings as her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit building. She was standing in a beautiful old church. "Logan, is this the church where the Captain and Maria got married?" Rory asked.

"You got it Ace. This is Stifftskirche Mondsee," Logan replied.

"Why am I standing up here and you down there?" Rory shouted.

"I thought we could practice for the big day," Logan said, "Even though we aren't getting married in a church."

Rory grinned at him and assumed the position. Slowly she made her way down the isle; alternately locking eyes with her groom and taking in the beautiful church surrounding her. As she neared the alter she noticed that they weren't alone. A man in black robes, who was clearly the priest, stood slightly off to the side behind Logan. Rory also noticed that Logan did not seem surprised by the priest's presence when she motioned to him. As Rory reached the alter Logan grasped her hands and said, "Let's get married."

"I already said yes the last time you asked me to marry you," Rory replied in confusion.

"I know," Logan said, "I meant; that we should get married right now, right here, by this priest."

"What about my wedding at the Dragonfly?" Rory asked.

"We can still have it. That is the wedding that we'll have for all our friends and family. Let this be our wedding," Logan pleaded.

"I don't understand," Rory said, not entirely displeased by the idea; but not yet comfortable with it either.

"I don't want to wait to marry you," Logan confessed, "I'm scared that my family will find a way to tear us apart when we got back home and meet with them. Let's get married now, without their knowledge and it can be our bargaining chip, should we need it."

"You want to marry me to protect me from your family?" Rory asked, "That's really sweet actually."

"I want to marry you because I love you and don't want to wait until September to call you my wife," Logan explained, "The thing with my family is just an added bonus."

"If my mother finds out that she missed my real wedding, she is going to be very hurt," Rory said.

"It will be our secret," Logan said, "No one has to know that our real anniversary isn't September 29th."

"But I can't get married wearing khaki pants and a jean jacket," Rory said in reference to her current wardrobe.

"Is that a yes?" Logan hooted.

"Yes Logan, I'll marry you here today in this church," Rory said; then added, "This is probably the most romantic thing you have ever done."

Logan picked Rory up and twirled her around causing the priest, who they'd forgotten about, to laugh out loud. "Rory, there is a little room off to the left at the back of the church. In the room is a woman who has everything you 'll need to marry me today; she will help you."

Logan kissed Rory, who was slightly dazed by the things happening to her, before he sent her to prepare. He couldn't believe that the last minute planning he had done early this morning on the train was working out. At least his family's money was good for something.

Rory slowly made her way to the room as thoughts spun around her head. She was genuinely touched by Logan's gesture and she was thrilled that they were going to get married here, today. Her only regret was that her mother would not be here to share it with her. Reaching the room Rory took a deep breath for courage and opened the door. A familiar face beamed at her from beneath a complicated hair-do.

"Oh my God, Mom?" Rory squealed as she launched herself into her mother's arms.

"You're getting married!" Lorelai cooed into Rory's ear as she held her tight.

"I can't believe you're here!" Rory said.

"Your fiancé is amazing! He called me from the train this morning saying that he had a crazy idea and wanted my blessing before he followed through with it. I told him he had my blessing as long as I could be there and from there the plan changed bit by bit. Suddenly your father and I are on a plane bound for Austria," Lorelai explained.

"Oh my God!" Rory said again as she wiped tears from her face, "I'm so glad that you are here. I didn't feel right about getting married without you here."

Lorelai hugged her daughter again and said, "Let's get you ready; we don't have much time."

Lorelai was wearing a strapless, sage green, tea-length bridesmaid dress. For Rory, Lorelai had brought a strapless Vera Wang wedding gown with a heavily beaded bodice of pearls and sequins and a chapel length train. She also had a matching veil headpiece. Lorelai expertly did Rory's make-up and hair. After attaching the veil and helping Rory into her dress she produced two bouquets from vases of water in the corner of the room. Rory stood back from the mirror and stared at herself, "I'm a bride," she said in amazement.

"You look beautiful, Babe," Lorelai breathed.

"I don't have a wedding band for Logan." Rory suddenly remembered.

"Got you covered," Lorelai said revealing a golden band around her thumb.

"I can't believe this is happening," Rory said.

"Just enjoy it," Lorelai said.

Just then Christopher knocked on the door as he poked his head in and asked, "All ready? Honey, you look beautiful." Chris entered the room and hugged his daughter, "I can't believe you're getting married."

"Me neither," Rory said with a grin.

As Rory emerged from the room she saw just how many arrangements Logan had made. There were modest sprays of flowers and hundreds of candles lit on the alter. Logan had hired both a photographer and a videographer to capture their wedding. Upon Logan's signal organ music swept through the church and he took his place waiting for Rory by the front pew. Lorelai ascended the long aisle first; turning and facing the back of the church when she finally reached the alter. The music changed and Christopher looped his arm through his daughter's. Rory did her best not to cry but couldn't help it as both Logan and Lorelai beamed at her from the front of the church. When they reached the front of the church Chris kissed Rory and handed her off to Logan before assuming his position as Logan's best man.

"You look beautiful, Ace," Logan whispered as he led her toward the priest.

"You don't look so bad yourself," Rory whispered back, "Now I understand the blindfold. Look at how much stuff you had to sneak in here without me noticing."

Logan grinned at her as the turned to the priest. "We are gathered here today to join Logan Elias Huntzberger and Lorelai Leigh Gilmore in holy matrimony. The couple has opted to recite their own vows."

Logan began, "Rory, first of all let me thank you for going along with my crazy scheme today. Second, let me thank you for teaching me what love really is. Before you I wasn't sure true love actually existed; but you proved me wrong. I thought committing to you would be the hardest thing I'd ever do, but I was wrong about that too. I hope that I never have to experience what I now believe would be the hardest thing for me to do; live without you. Finally, thank you for agreeing to be my wife. I will be proud to call myself your husband and I hope that I live up to that title. I love you" Logan removed the engagement ring from Rory's left hand and added to it a wedding band that perfectly matched the princess cut side stones on her engagement ring before sliding it back onto her finger.

Rory wiped away her tears and said, "Logan, thank you for introducing me to a world full of adventure and possibility. You coaxed me into that first jump and I haven't looked back to the safe world I left, yet. Perhaps the biggest risk you urged me to take was you. Had somebody told me, I never would have believed that I'd be standing here today marrying Logan Huntzberger, Yale player extraordinaire. I never thought I'd find someone who was my equal in so many way. I am honored to be your wife and I can't wait to begin our journey together. I love you." She gently slid the wedding band her Mother had supplied onto his left hand and squeezed it.

Lorelai, Chris, Logan and Rory were all openly crying as the priest announced them husband and wife and told Logan he could kiss his bride. Savoring this moment Logan cupped her face in his hands as he leaned in to kiss her. When they pulled away, smiling radiantly at one another he pulled her into a tight embrace and whispered, "I love you, Ace."

Since they were the only people in attendance they did not bother to walk back up the aisle. Lorelai and Christopher quickly hugged, kissed and congratulated the newlyweds. The photographer arranged the quartet for some typical wedding pictures. The priest needed the four to sign some papers, making the marriage legal and binding. And suddenly it was finished, they were married.

"I have a limo waiting outside if you girls want to gather your things," Logan said, "I asked the photographer if he would come with us back to Mirabell Gardens and Hellbrunn to take some more wedding photos."

"Better yet," Lorelai said, "Chris and I will gather up everyone's stuff. You two go enjoy a few minutes alone in the limo while you wait for us."

Logan picked Rory up in the traditional way that a groom carries his bride and carried her to the limo. Carefully he set her inside and climbed in beside her.

"We're married!" Logan said beaming happily.

"I know!" Rory exclaimed, "Thank you for today, it was perfect."

**Author's Note:** Surprise! Please review; I want to know what people's thoughts are on this newest development. If you want to see a picture of Rory's wedding gown please go to the link in my profile.


	13. Afterglow

Still sitting in the limo waiting for Lorelai and Chris to join them Logan and Rory were enjoying their first few moments alone as husband and wife. Not long after they'd shut themselves into the limo Logan settled Rory on his lap, where she remained as they ardently kissed one another. Pulling away suddenly Rory asked, "Was this your plan since the moment we left Hartford for London?"

"What?" Logan asked still reeling slightly from the abrupt end to their kissing.

"When did you plan all of this?" Rory asked more directly.

"This morning at breakfast on the train I borrowed your guide book when you were busy with your pancakes. I saw the church and it's relation to the Sound of Music and the whole crazy idea popped into my head," Logan said, "And you know me, I had to go for it."

Rory smiled softly at him and replied, "Yeah, you aren't known to stop and think anything through. You are completely impetuous. I can't believe that you pulled this whole thing together in one day."

"I can't believe it either," Logan said grinning, "But you liked it right?"

"Like I told you earlier today; this is by far the most romantic thing you have ever done. I feel like I've fallen in love with you all over again," Rory said as she pulled him back in for another kiss.

After a few more minutes of kissing Logan pulled away this time and asked, "Are you planning on taking my name?"

Rory paused for a moment before she replied, "I've been thinking about that lately and as much as I typically disdain hyphenated names I may very well be the last Gilmore and I think it would mean a lot to my grandparents if I retained the Gilmore name."

"And the kids?" Logan asked.

"What kids?" Rory asked.

"Our future children," Logan asked, "What name will they wear?"

"I guess I'd want them to be Gilmore-Huntzberger; like me," Rory said.

"Fair enough," Logan said, "You do want children someday, right?"

"Someday," Rory said wistfully, "But first I want to finish school and start my career."

"Not to mention spend time with your devastatingly handsome husband," Logan smirked, "I don't want kids yet either. I want you all to myself for a while."

"Sounds good to me," said Rory as Logan swooped back in for another round of kissing.

Finally the door opened and Lorelai ducked in with her eyes squinted shut. "Okay kids keep your hands to yourselves." Logan and Rory reluctantly drew apart and Rory removed herself from Logan's lap to settle on the seat beside him.

"Thank you for coming, Mom and Dad," Rory said with emotion in her voice, "I didn't feel right about getting married without you here."

"We wouldn't have missed it for the world," Lorelai said, "Logan you did an amazing job."

"Well, I have you to thank for bringing Rory's dress and tuxes for Chris and me," Logan said, "Thanks for all your help."

"Just to make sure I understand the plan," Chris began, "This wedding is a secret and the two of you will stage the real wedding on September 29th. Correct?"

"Correct," Logan affirmed, "No one outside the four of us is to know that this wedding even took place. There are friends and family who would be crushed if they found out that September 29th wasn't the real thing."

Rory added, "We will remove our wedding bands before we head back home as not to arouse any suspicion. I haven't figured out how to deal with two sets of wedding photos yet; but maybe we will just have to keep the photos from today a secret."

"You could wear the same dress for the second wedding and perhaps people won't be able to tell the difference," Lorelai suggested, "Or, you could wear the same dress and if people notice that you have wedding pictures taken in a foreign county you can tell them that you and Logan decided to take wedding photos in beautiful places on your honeymoon. Or, maybe you had wedding photos taken because you were going to be featured in a magazine and you didn't want to publicize the real photos and these are your fake photos, even though they are really real."

Logan, Rory and Chris looked at each other in confusion before Lorelai added, "Or we can just keep them a secret until we figure out a cover story that is more seamless than those that I just concocted."

The foursome posed for wedding photos in multiple locations on the grounds of Hellbrunn. Naturally they wanted photos at the pavilion/gazebo that was used in the Sound of Music for the 'I am 16 going on 17' scenes. They also took shots by the palace, the fountains and the maze. Next they went to Mirabell Gardens and Palace to take a few more wedding photos. At Mirabell Gardens they were in a more public venue and noticed a few tourists snapping pictures of the happy couple in addition to their photographer.

"Those are going to be some beautiful wedding photos," Lorelai gushed, "Too bad you might have to keep them hidden away."

Logan paid the photographer handsomely and exchanged contact information with the man so they could keep in contact about the pictures. "Hungry, Ace?" Logan asked as he snaked an arm around his wife's shoulders.

"Famished," Rory said, "And you promised me an awesome dinner tonight."

"I made reservations for 4 at Hochalm this morning from the train. I'll ask the limo driver to take us there next," Logan said with a smirk. Hochalm was not a particularly fancy restaurant and it couldn't be defined as somewhere a wedding dinner would normally take place. In fact Hochalm could best be described as quaint and possibly a little rustic. Logan had chosen the restaurant for two reasons; one, he thought it would be fun to add a little more of the Austrian culture to their day and two, the view would be spectacular.

A short time later; the summer sky starting to darken as night fell, the limo pulled into a parking lot and the foursome emerged. Logan smirked as he watched Rory, Lorelai and Chris look around in confusion.

"Are we having a picnic?" Lorelai asked, "I don't see a restaurant anywhere."

"That's because you're not looking high enough," Logan said as he pointed to a tiny building perched high upon a peak of the Untersberg Mountain beside them.

"How are we going to get up there?" Chris asked as he craned his neck to squint at the tiny building.

"By cable car," Logan said as he motioned to the cable car platform several hundred yards from where they were currently standing.

"Cool!" Rory exclaimed.

"I should warn you that it isn't the fanciest place," Logan said.

"Since when has fancy been a priority for the Gilmore Girls," Lorelai asked.

"Good point," Chris replied as Lorelai punched him in the arm.

Logan paid the cable car operator extra to allow the four of them to travel up in a car alone. Typically the operator was asked to wait until at least 10 people occupied the car before sending it up; but seeing that it was a special occasion the operator made an exception.

The view from the cable car was magnificent. As the night sky grew darker, lights twinkled on in the city below. Chris and Lorelai took pictures on Rory's digital camera of the happy couple with the phenomenal backdrop the city painted behind them. The ride up the mountain in the cable car passed too quickly and suddenly they were there. When the cable car slowed to a stop a restaurant employee was there to help the passengers onto a stone and wooden platform. The foursome asked him to take a few shots of the wedding party with the city in the background. When they were finally escorted into the restaurant the other patrons grew quiet watching the beautiful bride and groom. The best seats in the house were reserved for them. Sitting nearest to the large picture windows they had a spectacular view of the city below them. The other patrons remained silent until the waiter announced, "Welcome our special guests tonight; the newlywed, Mr. and Mrs. Huntzberger." Applause and whistles sounded around the room greeting them.

The food was excellent; they had chosen to sample a variety of the local cuisine and Logan had ordered their best bottle of wine. There were accordion and violin players circulating through out the room and when they had finished eating Logan asked his wife to dance. For a while they were alone on the dance floor as everyone watched the lovely couple; but eventually Chris and Lorelai and other couples joined them. When they finally returned to their seats the chef surprised them with a special surprise. From the kitchen he carried a tiny wedding cake complete with a bride and groom to top it off. Logan and Rory stood while they cut the cake and fed it to each other while Chris took pictures and Lorelai looked on. It had turned out to be the perfect wedding dinner. Before they departed from the restaurant Logan stood with his glass held high to make a toast.

"I want to thank all of you for being here tonight and making us feel so welcome. You barely know us and yet you celebrated our happy occasion with us as if you have known us for years. We appreciate your enthusiasm on our behalf. I would also like to thank Christopher and Lorelai for helping me to make today possible and my lovely wife for trusting me enough to go along with this crazy scheme," Logan said with a slight catch in his voice as emotion crept in.

When he'd finished his speech everyone in turn raised their glasses and said, "Cheers!" Shortly there after the foursome gathered up their things and prepared to ride back down the mountain. The head waiter escorted them out the front door, back onto the cable car platform and said, "We have one last surprise for you tonight." Upon his signal several fireworks were shot into the night sky. The quartet laughed in surprise as they enjoyed their impromptu show. Many of the patrons piled out of the restaurant onto the platform and watched too. When the show was over, the foursome climbed back into the cable car and departed down the mountain. They waved and shouted good-bye and thank-you, for as long as they could still be heard.

When they arrived back at the limo the couples said their good-byes and went their separate ways. Logan and Rory climbed into the limo to return to their hotel and Chris and Lorelai called a cab to bring them back to the airport. While Logan had offered to get them at room in their hotel Chris and Lorelai knew that spending anymore time in Austria would jeopardize the secret they were keeping. If they were missing from Hartford for too much longer people would start asking questions.

When they returned to the hotel Logan stopped at the front desk and exchanged his key. Rory watched him in confusion and asked, "What are you doing?"

"While you were preparing for our wedding I called and upgraded us to the honeymoon suite," Logan said.

"I know I've said it already, but thank you for today. It was perfect," Rory said.

In response Logan kissed her passionately. The couple could barely keep their hands off each other as the elevator climbed to the top floor of the hotel. Logan struggled with the key to the door, distracted as he was. Finally succeeding the couple rushed into the room, kicking off their shoes and collapsed onto the bed. Rory whipped her veil off of her head and threw it to the floor. Logan fought with his bow tie before he cast it to the floor with the veil. Logan got up off the bed to remove his coat and un-tuck his shirt before lying back down beside Rory.

The couple resumed kissing while they savored the idea of their first time together as husband and wife. Pinning Logan to the bed Rory climbed on top, straddling him while she painstakingly opened the tiny buttons on his dress shirt. Upon completion of the final button Logan sat up slightly so Rory could remove his dress shirt and the tee-shirt he wore beneath. Lying back down Logan granted her full access to his chest, which she kissed intimately until he could stand it no longer. Quickly flipping Rory onto her back Logan hovered above her raining kisses along her neck and collar bone and nibbling seductively on her ear.

Eventually pushing Logan off her Rory turned her back to him so he could unzip her dress. Logan kissed her shoulder gently as he unzipped her gown. Carefully he peeled the dress off her and gently laid it over an arm chair in the corner of their room. Rory sat down on the edge of the bed removing her nylons while Logan removed his socks, then unbuttoned his pants and let them fall to the floor. Returning to the bed and crawling under the covers the couple, now clad in only their underwear, kissed and touched each other intimately.

Rory touched him through his boxers as he moved to unhook her bra. Logan caressed her breasts using both hands and mouth before moving his attention lower. Rory squirmed in pleasure as she ran her hands along his back and through his hair. Aching to move forward Rory turned her attention to Logan quickly removing his boxers and kneeling before him. Shuddering in pleasure he rested his hands in her shoulders and whispered encouragingly to her. When finally neither of them could wait any longer Logan pushed her back onto the bed and locked eyes with her as he entered her.

"I love you!" Rory moaned as she climaxed again. Lost in the throws of passion Logan could do little more than nod at her words; but she knew he felt it too.

**Author's Note**: I am so glad that people are enjoying this story. I went on a trip to Austria, German and Italy about 10 years ago, which is why I chose Austria and Italy as destinations on Logan and Rory's trip. We visited many of the Sound of Music sites on our tour of the city—but I included more of them in this story than we actually visited. We did see the Mondsee church where the wedding took place. We also at the mountain top restaurant and it was a really neat experience. Thank you for all the reviews of the last chapter—I was please. Keep the reviews coming and always I love suggestions. Thanks!


	14. Nosy Tourists

The next morning the couple slept in until eleven. As they munched on the brunch platter that Logan ordered from the kitchen they planned and prepared for their day. Their plan was to spend the rest of the day in Austria, seeing the sights that they hadn't yet seen, before they caught a flight to Venice that evening.

"What if we extended our trip by a few more days," Logan asked, "After all, this is our honeymoon."

"I would love to; but what about the all important meeting with your parents?" Rory asked.

"I'm sure we can push it back a little. My Dad will probably cancel it himself; he's always double-booked and his business meetings always trump personal ones," Logan said.

"If you think it wouldn't be a big deal; I would love to have more time away with you," Rory said.

"Speak of the devil," Logan said as he pulled his vibrating cell phone from his pocket, "Hello, Dad!"

"Logan," Mitchum said sternly, "Explain to me why my papers have gotten multiple calls this morning offering to sell us exclusive first photos of the secret Salzberg wedding of the Huntzberger heir and his fiancé."

Logan paled noticeably as his face assumed an expression of horror, "I'm not sure what to say, Dad."

"Well, you could confirm or deny the validity of these photos, Logan," Mitchum shouted, losing patience. Stalling for time and completely clueless as far as what he should say, Logan remained silent. Mitchum tried again to extract an answer from his son, "How's your wife this morning."

Sighing in defeat Logan replied, "My wife is fine, Dad." Across the room Rory gasped in alarm as she fully grasped the purpose of Mitchum's call and Logan shrugged his shoulders at her helplessly.

"So it's true then?" Mitchum asked, "What were you thinking?"

Finally finding his voice Logan forcefully said, "I was thinking that I love her and she loves me and we didn't want to wait any longer to be together. And we certainly didn't want to come home and let you and Mom tear us apart."

"Why would you think your mother and I are plotting to break the two of you up?" Mitchum asked coldly.

"Before you decided she was good enough I'm pretty sure that was exactly what your intention was." Logan spat.

"As hard as this might be to believe I am actually calling to try and protect you," Mitchum said. "I will buy all the photos and negatives I can get my hands on and destroy them. I will also pay these people off to keep their silence."

"Why would you do that?" Logan asked, confused as to his father's intentions.

"Despite our initial disapproval of your engagement your mother and I were starting to look forward to seeing you settle down. Your mother will be crushed if she finds out that you got married secretly. Not to mention your sister, Rory's Grandparents and the countless other friends and family who were not included," Mitchum said.

"What about you Dad," Logan said, "Were you disappointed?"

"That is beside the point," Mitchum snapped clearly trying to hide the fact that he indeed had been disappointed too, "What is important is that we get rid of any existing evidence and keep this whole thing under wraps."

"Um, thanks, Dad," Logan said, obviously not used to his father displaying this kind of generosity, "If I can ask; who are these sellers?"

"I'm assuming you are worried about the integrity of the photographer you hired," Mitchum said, "Not to worry. It seems there was a group from Boston who were there on a guided tour and they knew exactly who you were. Had it not been for them your secret probably would have remained protected."

"Listen, Dad, Rory and I were thinking about extending our trip by a few days being as this is our honeymoon; can we push the meeting with you and Mom back a little."

"That will be fine," Mitchum said, "In light of the current situation though; it might be better if we left your mother out of this meeting; don't you agree."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Logan agreed.

"Let me talk to my daughter-in-law for a minute," Mitchum commanded.

"Sure, hold on," Logan said warily. Covering the mouthpiece of the phone Logan turned to Rory who was sitting on the bed wringing her hands in despair and said, "He wants to talk to you."

Fear filled her bright blue eyes as she accepted the phone from Logan and grasped his hand for support, "Hello?"

"Rory, I understand congratulations are in order," Mitchum said with the tiniest hint of warmth in his voice, "Welcome to the family."

"Thank you, sir," Rory said slowly, unsure of herself in this position.

"As I explained to Logan I have been getting offers all morning to buy exclusive first photos of your wedding. I think we can keep this whole thing under wraps and avoid any hurt feelings. I will buy up any photos and negatives I can and pay off the sellers to keep quiet. I can't guarantee that the news won't still slip out somehow; but we'll do our best to prevent it," Mitchum explained.

"Thank you, that is very generous of you," Rory said.

"Rory, I know that my family and I have not treated you very well in the past and I feel badly about that. I hope that we can move beyond that and become family. After all you are married to my son; you are one of us now," Mitchum said.

"Thank you; I hope so too," Rory said.

"Tell Logan that I'll see you two when ever you decide to return to Hartford and we'll get things squared away," Mitchum said, "Enjoy Europe."

"I will. Good-bye," Rory said before snapping the phone shut and handing it back to Logan.

The two sat in stunned silence for a moment before Logan said, "Well that was extremely out of character for my father. I hope he is being genuine and not trying to find another way to turn things to his advantage."

"Me too," Rory said quietly.

"What's wrong, Ace," Logan asked carefully, sensing her hesitation, "Regretting marrying me, already?"

"You're not the problem," Rory said as she snuggled closer to him, "But your family scares the crap out of me."

"Yeah, me too," Logan agreed, "Let's finish packing so we can get out of here and enjoy the rest of our day."

When the couple let the hotel they had included hats and dark sunglasses in their wardrobe. They didn't want any surprise photos captured of them on their honeymoon. The smartest thing to do would have probably been to leave Salzberg immediately and head to Venice. Considering it briefly the couple decided that they were not going to let a few nosy tourists looking to make an easy buck ruin their plans. The couple checked out of their hotel room but left their luggage behind as they left to see the last few sights on their list. They would return later in the day and catch a taxi from the hotel to the airport.

"What's left on the list, Ace," Logan asked.

"The Hohensalzberg Fortress, Mozart's birthplace and residence museum and Mozart Square," Rory read from her list.

The Hohensalzburg Fortress is the most prominent landmark in Salzburg's silhouette. Standing grandly over the city rooftops, it dominates the cityscape. Built in 1077 by Archbishop Gebhard during the investiture controversy it was meant to protect the clergy and the population. The 900-year-old structure is the biggest and most fully-preserved fort in Europe. Logan and Rory took a guided tour of the old buildings; enjoying the secret rooms, niches and battlements that they got a first hand look at. After a quick snack from a street side vendor the couple moved onto the Mozart birthplace and residence museum. In the middle of the Getreidegasse, Salzburg's famous medieval shopping ally is the birthplace of Mozart. The museum presented an extensive history of the famous composer including some of Mozart's original instruments, portraits and letters; which the couple enjoyed thoroughly. Upon leaving the museum they stopped at Mozart Square which was located nearby. Mozart Square is situated in the center of the city and owes it special character to the impressive Mozart memorial, created by Ludwig von Schwanthaler in 1842. Visitors can enjoy listening to the world famous Salzburg carillon, which sounds daily from the archbishop's palace.

It was late afternoon and soon the couple would need to return to the hotel to catch a taxi to the airport. But they had a few extra minutes and decided to simply sit on a bench by the Salzach River and enjoy the scenery one last time. Logan wrapped an arm around Rory's shoulders and she rested her head on him. Sighing contentedly Rory glanced up at her husband and smiled. Preparing to thank him again for their amazing wedding and honeymoon, Rory was cut short by the ringing of her cell phone.

Looking at the caller id her Mom's picture flashed on the screen, "Hey Mom," Rory answered happily, "Did you make it home safely?"

"Yes, but that's not why I'm calling," Lorelai said with a hint of doom in her voice, "I wanted to warn you that the news of your wedding is all over the newspapers this morning."

"No," Rory gasped, "I guess I'm not surprised. Mitchum called us this morning saying that his newspapers had been getting offers to purchase pictures of our wedding all morning. He was going to try and buy up and destroy whatever he could; but I guess some other paper's got offers too."

"I think you can probably expect a phone call from my irate mother any second now. She called here just a few minutes ago demanding I tell her what I know," Lorelai said.

Just then Rory's call waiting started to beep, "Mom, I have another call coming in and it's probably Grandma. I better take this."

Logan squeezed Rory's knee as she ended the call with her mother and picked up with her grandmother, "Hi Grandma," Rory said with false cheer.

"Rory, how could you?" Emily spat into the phone, obviously hurt.

"I'm so sorry Grandma. We didn't mean to hurt anyone's feeling," Rory began.

"Well, you certainly hurt mine," Emily retorted.

"I know Grandma, and I feel terrible about that. Logan and I were afraid that when we returned home and spoke with his parents that they would find someway to keep us apart. We did this because we are deeply in love and were afraid of losing one another," Rory explained.

"Well, I can respect that," Emily sniffed, "But I am still hurt."

"Logan and I are still planning to have a ceremony at home in September," Rory said.

"It won't be your real wedding though," Emily sulked.

"Logan hired an excellent photographer and videographer to capture the entire event; as soon as we have the video and the pictures back I will come over and share them with you," Rory offered.

"I suppose that will have to be good enough," Emily retorted.

Rory drew in a deep breath; unable to believe what she was about to offer, "Grandma, since Logan and I have already had our own dream wedding here in Salzburg; how would you feel about planning the Hartford wedding for us?"

"Oh Rory," Emily gushed, "I would be honored. It will be the most beautiful wedding you have ever seen. I would love to. Thank you."

"No problem, Grandma," Rory said, pleased that her sacrifice had worked as she hoped it would.

"Well Rory I really should be going. I have a lot of planning to do," Emily said.

"Okay Grandma, have fun!" Rory responded, "By the way, we were thinking September 29th for the Hartford wedding."

"Sounds great, Rory. Enjoy your honeymoon," Emily cooed.

"Good-bye Grandma," Rory said with a small laugh.

As Rory ended her call with her Grandmother Logan's phone began to ring. Glancing at the call id he cringed a little; his mother was not going to be as easy to smooth over as Emily had been.

"Mom!" Logan answered.

"Logan Elias Huntzberger what were you thinking?" Shira asked.

"I was being spontaneous and impulsive. I was thinking that I love Rory and she loves me and why should we wait to get married. And honestly she and I have both a little nervous that you and Dad were going to try and break us up," Logan gushed, "I feel badly that some very important people like you, Dad and Honor couldn't be part of our big day; but I'm not sorry we went through with it. It was the best day in my entire life."

"I had no idea that your feelings about this whole thing with her were this strong," Shira said.

"What did you think?" Logan asked.

"I thought maybe you were just playing. Logan, you know that you've never been one for commitment. Why would I ever have reason to think that this was serious?" Shira asked.

"I've been dropping not so subtle hints for months that I was very serious about Rory and you, Dad and Grandpa just kept telling me that she wasn't good enough," Logan said bitterly.

"I'm sorry Logan; we should have taken you more seriously," Shira said, "So, now you're married. What happens next?"

"Rory and I plan to extend our trip a little bit. When we come back home we will still meet with you and Dad; as far as I know I am still disowned," Logan said, "We are still planning on having a wedding in Hartford in September for our family and friends. Emily is planning it; perhaps the two of you should collaborate."

"That might be fun." Shira said, sounding surprised, "I will give her a call."

"Sounds good, Mom," Logan said wearily.

"Logan," Shira began, "I'm sorry for giving Rory a hard time before. She does seem like a nice girl."

"She is," Logan said.

"And, congratulations," Shira said softly, "I can't believe my baby boy is married."

"Thanks Mom," Logan said, "But I should get going; Rory and I have a plane to Venice to catch shortly."

Rory and Logan walked slowly back to the hotel holding hands and each of them on their cell phones; which were ringing ceaselessly with calls of friends and family who had read the news in their morning paper. Most were thrilled for the couple and complemented them on how romantic their impromptu wedding was and for that the couple felt truly blessed.

**Author's Note**: Congratulations to those of you who figured out in advance that their secret would spill out. There were a few of you who guessed my plans in your reviews. Please continue to review—I still love to hear what people think of my story. Now that the couple has expanded their trip slightly I think we have room for one more destination after Venice—anyone have suggestions? Thanks!


	15. The Magical City

Before boarding their flight to Venice, Logan and Rory changed the voicemail messages on their phone and agreed to turn them off for the remainder of their honeymoon. Now when friends or family called about the wedding they received this message: You have reached the Huntzbergers; yes, we got married. Surprise! We apologize if you are offended that you were not in attendance, but our intention was not to hurt anyone's feelings. Please leave us a message and we will return your call when we return home after our honeymoon. They weren't expecting too many messages; they had pretty much spoken with everyone already anyway.

The flight from Salzburg to Venice was uneventful; with a short layover in Vienna. When they arrived in Venice local time was nearing eleven pm so the couple headed straight for their hotel. Logan had made them reservations at Hotel Cipriani which was located on the island La Giudecca; one of the over 400 tiny islands that make up the city of Venice. Rory had read in her guidebook that Hotel Cipriani is regarded as one of the finest hotels in the world and as they settled into their plush room she could understand why. The view alone made the hotel worth the praise. From the four large windows in their suite they had a magnificent waterfront view and directly across the water from them was St. Mark's Square.

"I am so excited to go sight seeing tomorrow!" Rory exclaimed as she gazed longingly out at the magical city.

"I am so excited to get you into this awesome bed," Logan replied from where he was currently sprawled.

"I've never been to Venice," Rory said, "My mom and I didn't quite make it here on our trip after I graduated high school. I have a feeling that it's going to be very romantic."

"If you consider a place that is crowded, garbage strewn and expensive, romantic than you are in the right place," Logan said.

"Why didn't you tell me that you don't like Venice when I suggested that we come here," Rory asked dejectedly.

"I never said I didn't like it; I think it is an amazingly historical city. I just can't see it being romantic with the aforementioned issues," Logan said; "But if it makes you feel better I'm sure it will be more romantic here with you than it was when I was here last with Colin and Finn."

Grudgingly Rory gave him a small smile and said, "I'm sure that by the end of tomorrow when you've seen the city through my eyes you will agree with me."

"Hopefully," Logan said as he rose off the bed to join his wife at the window, "It does look lovely right now."

"Yeah, because you can't see all the garbage and tourists," Rory said sarcastically.

"Ace," Logan warned, "Let's not argue about this. I'm sure that tomorrow will be great."

"You're right," Rory agreed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him to carry her to their bed, "Let's get some sleep!"

Rory woke early the next morning; too excited to sleep any later. She showered and dressed before Logan even began to stir in the bed. Rory was perusing the room service menu when Logan finally roused from his slumber.

"Ace," Logan croaked as he peered at the clock beside him, "What on earth are you doing up so early?"

"I couldn't sleep, I'm too excited," Rory explained.

"But it's only 7:30 in the morning," Logan protested.

"I know, I'm sorry," Rory said.

Logan yanked on her arm effectively knocking her back onto the bed beside him. Wrapping an arm tightly around her he said, "Don't be sorry; your enthusiasm is cute. I'd try to convince you to come back to bed; but I don't think I'll succeed. So, I guess I'll get up too."

"Before you get in the shower," Rory said as she thrust the menu at him, "What do you want for breakfast?"

"You choose, Ace," Logan replied sleepily, "I'm not picky."

Half an hour later as Logan was emerging from the shower the breakfast Rory ordered arrived; with it, a large vase of white rose and white lilies was delivered. Momentarily forgetting how hungry she was Rory breathed in the heavenly aroma of the beautiful flowers and searched for the card that must have accompanied them. Finally locating the card Rory quickly ripped open the envelope.

"Who are they from?" Logan asked as he joined Rory.

"I don't know yet; I just found the card." Rory carefully pulled the card out and read, "Dear Logan and Rory, Congratulations on your wedding. I am disappointed not to have been there; but I do understand your haste. I am excited to finally have a sister though. Enjoy your honeymoon; see you at home soon. Love, Honor (and Josh.)"

Honor had called Logan on his cell phone the day before and each had spoken briefly with her; apologizing profusely for denying her the opportunity to see her only sibling get married. Honor had been gracious about the whole matter; but deep down they could tell that she was still a little hurt. They were touched by her gesture to demonstrate how truly pleased she was by their marriage.

After finishing their breakfast and making final preparations for their day the couple set off. They decided to first tour several of the different churches in the Bacino di San Marco area; where the Grand Canal and the Giudecca Canal merge. They visited the church of San Giorgio Maggiore which was on the island of the same name. They visited Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, simply known to locals as Salute, one of the largest churches in Venice built in 1681. They visited the great domed church that dominated the Venice skyline, Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore which stands on the island of Giudecca. Finally they toured the Basilica San Marco in the Piazza San Marco. The churches were stunningly breathtaking; but none would ever be able to replace Stifftskirche Mondsee in their hearts.

Since they were already in the Piazza San Marco the couple decided to stop and have lunch in the square. "Would you like to eat at Gran Caffé Quadri or Caffe Florian?" Logan asked.

Quickly looking at her travel notes Rory said, "Well, Gran Caffe Quadri has pizza; but Caffe Florian is a historical coffee bar and has outside seating. I don't think I can pass up the magnificent view we'd miss out on by sitting indoors; not to mention the coffee."

"Caffe Florian it is then," Logan said with a grin.

The couple was seated at an outside table and their orders were quickly taken. "So, are you enjoying Venice?" Rory asked.

"Of course," Logan said with a smirk, "I should never have doubted your ability to make anywhere fun."

"I'm glad," Rory said.

"Is Venice feeling terribly romantic to you yet?" Logan asked.

"Not yet, but give it time," Rory said defensively.

As they enjoyed their lunch they marveled at the impressive buildings surrounding them in St. Mark's Square. St. Mark's Basilica, which they had just left, stood on an edge. Doge's Palace, which houses numerous offices of political institutions stood on another edge. There was St. Mark's Clock tower, St. Mark's Campanile, Procuratie Nuove, Procuratie Vecchie and the Biblioteca Marciana. Upon finishing their lunch Rory insisted they visit all the remarkable buildings on the square before they moved on to more Venice sights.

The couple visited Giardini ex Reali, Venice's public gardens where many of the cities stray cats lived. They strolled along the water front and saw the Palazzo Dandolo which once was a palace but previously had been converted into a hotel. They took silly pictures with the giant submerged hand statue near the water. They watched a glass blowing demonstration and purchased some glassware to be shipped back to their new home together.

The afternoon was drawing into evening and there wasn't going to be nearly enough time to see all the sights on Rory's list before the gondola ride that Logan was insisting they take at around sunset. Rory still wanted to see the Cini Foundation Arts Centre and Teatro Verde, the open air theater. There was also the Museum or Archaeology and the Venetian Mint to consider. Logan assured Rory that if they didn't manage to see the rest of the sights tomorrow they would return to Venice someday and she could see them then.

"So, you're willing to return here?" Rory asked.

"Yes, "Logan said, "I know I was a little down on Venice last night but I think that was due partly to the stress of yesterday with everyone finding out about the wedding. Not to mention that Colin, Finn and I didn't really see many sights while we were here, so all that I really did remember about it was the garbage and tourist."

"I could see how that might happen with them." Rory said with a grin.

Logan paid for an hour long gondola ride through the canals of Venice. As they settled into the rear of the boat and the gondolier began to serenade them in Italian; Logan could finally begin to see where Venice might be considered romantic. Rory lightly slipped her hand into his and in response he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer to him. Their ride brought them past two more of the sights on Rory's list. The Ponte Rialto Bridge spanning the Grand Canal is the oldest and probably most beautiful bridge in Venice. It was built in 1591 and is one of the most recognized landmarks of the city. Another bridge, the Bridge of Sighs, spans the Rio di Palazzo and is famous for a much more depressing reason. The enclosed limestone bridge links the interrogation rooms in Doge's Palace to the prison. The Bridge of Sighs is said to have provided the last view of Venice to convicts as they were escorted to their cell. The sunset in the west was picturesque; but storm clouds had been gathering in the east all afternoon and it appeared that there'd be rain later this evening.

"I suggest we have dinner at Gran Caffe Quadri before we head back to our hotel," Logan said as they disembarked from the gondola.

"Sounds wonderful," Rory said taking his hand.

Dinner was a wonderfully elegant affair. They had made the right choice in saving Gran Caffe Quadri for dinner. The couple enjoyed an authentic Italian meal complete with good wine and decadent dessert. Before they left the restaurant to return to their hotel Rory excused her to use the rest room. "Ace," Logan said, "I'll meet you out in front." Rory nodded as they both rose from the table.

Logan quickly headed out to the square, before dinner he'd noticed a vendor selling roses. He bought a single red rose for his wife. Logan stood near the center of the square waiting for Rory to emerge. It really had been a wonderful day, he thought. It amazed him that Rory's zest for live and enthusiasm over everything could be so contagious. He hoped that she would always have this effect on him. He also hoped that he would always be able to bring her to new places and show her thing she'd never seen before. He watched as his wife finally appeared from within the restaurant. She looked young and very beautiful in the simple summer sundress that she'd chosen to wear today. She'd left her long brown hair free and flowing over her lovely shoulders. While blondes had always been his type he could not deny that this brunette vixen had smitten him from day one. Her sapphire eyes flashed across the square seeking out Logan; when they finally settled on him a warm smile spread across her face.

"Hey beautiful," Logan said as he handed her the rose he'd been holding behind his back.

Grinning, Rory accepted the rose and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him. He responded, putting his hands on her hips and pulling her closer to him. "Mrs. Huntzberger, may I have this dance?" He whispered into her ear.

"I'd love to," Rory said surprised that he'd be willing to dance with her in the middle of a public square. She placed one hand on his shoulder as one of his hands moved off her hip to intertwine with her free hand. Slowly they started to move and Rory let her head dip onto his shoulder. Logan positioned his mouth next to her ear and softly began to hum.

Rory listened to the pretty melody he was humming for a full five minutes before finally asking, "What are you humming, it's pretty."

Moving his mouth slightly closer to her ear Logan quietly began to sing,

"_What are you doing the rest of your life?  
North and south and east and west of your life?  
I have only one request of your life  
That you spend it all with me.  
All the seasons and the times of your days.  
All the nickels and the dimes of your days.  
Let the reasons and the rhymes of your days.  
All begin and end with me.  
I want to see your face,  
In every kind of light,  
In fields of gold and  
Forests of the night."_

Rory's eyes had brimmed with tears as he sang to her when he paused she said, "I had no idea you were a fan of Babs."

"I'm not really," Logan explained, "But my Mom always loved this song. I heard it a lot growing up." He lightly placed a kiss on the side of her head and resumed singing,

"_And when you stand before  
The candles on a cake.  
Oh let me be the one to hear  
The silent wish you make.  
Those tomorrows waiting deep in your eyes  
In the world of love you keep in your eyes,  
I'll awaken what's asleep in your eyes,  
It may take a kiss or two..  
Through all of my life..  
Summer, winter, spring and fall of my life,  
All I ever will recall of my life  
Is all of my life with you."_

When Logan stopped singing the couple swayed for a minute more before they reluctantly pulled away. Rory looked up into Logan's warm caramel eyes; her own swimming with tears. Reaching up she placed a hand on his cheek and said, "That was beautiful."

He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her avidly. They stood in the square kissing as locals and tourists marveled at the stunning young couple, so in love. They might have stood there indefinitely had the skies not chosen that moment to open up and unleash a tremendous summer down pour. Within moments they were soaked. They stood there for a minute and grinned wildly at one another. "Have you ever danced in the rain?" Logan asked Rory.

Shaking her head she laughed at him as he pulled her back to him twirled her around. Slowly they made their way to the canals; they were going to have a horrible time catching a boat back to their hotel on the other island. They found a bench nearby where they could catch a boat and sat down to wait.

Starting to shiver a bit from the cold rain Rory said, "We'll have to take a hot bath in that huge tub when we get back to our room."

"Sounds good to me, Ace," Logan said as he nuzzled her neck.

"Do you still find Venice to be unromantic?" Rory asked; fully aware of her husband's urge to put his hands all over her.

Running his tongue across her lower lip, teasing her, Logan pulled away and said, "I won't forget this day for as long as I live,"

"Is that a yes?" Rory asked over the roar of the continuing downpour.

"Yes, Ace, so far Venice is by far one of the most romantic places I have ever been with you, and I can't imagine it getting much better than this," Logan said.

**Author's Note**: Thanks for all the great reviews for the last chapter—in response—of course their secret couldn't have ever remained a secret—but it was sweet that they thought it would work, although slightly naïve. I got the idea for Logan to sing to her from another series that Matt Czuchry was in. In Young Americans (which showed 8 episodes during the summer of 2000 on the WB) Matt played Sean McGrail who sang 'The Way You Look Tonight,' to Bella (Kate Bosworth.) I'm not sure Logan Huntzberger would really do this—but that scene in Young Americans always makes me melt and I knew I just had to go for it. Besides, it's my story…If you want to see a picture of the submerged hand in Venice I will include a link on my profile page. I saw the hand when I was in Venice 10 years ago and it was one of my favorite things about Venice because it was so wonderfully weird. Thanks for reading and please review!!


	16. Confessions

Rory was disappointed the next morning to see that the rain from the previous evening had not let up. Had it been a light summer shower Rory would have insisted that they still venture out to see the rest of the sights on her list. But as it was pouring, she knew that they were going to have to look into alternate plans.

"Ace, I called the front desk to ask about the weather report and it sounds like they expect this kind of rain all day long," Logan said apologetically.

Rory flopped back onto their bed and groaned, "Now what?"

"Well, we could just hang out in bed all day and postpone the sightseeing until tomorrow," Logan suggested with a smirk, "Or we could head to our next destination a day early and try to get away from this rain."

"You said we could come back to Venice someday right?" Rory asked.

"I did; and after the day and night we had here yesterday I'm thinking this might be a consideration for a second honeymoon or something," Logan smirked.

"It really was a great day," Rory said, "And night."

"You're a writer and the best adjective you can come up with is great?" Logan asked.

Taking the challenge Rory quickly rattled off, "wonderful, impressive, excellent, amazing, astounding, incredible, marvelous, miraculous…"

Logan halted her flow of adjectives with a searing kiss before saying, "How about some adjectives about last night."

"Amazing, sensuous, arousing, unbelievable, awe-inspiring, exhausting….need I go on or has your ego been fed enough?" Rory asked with a smile.

"You forgot romantic," Logan teased, "Are we staying in bed all day or should I start packing and calling the airport to make flight arrangements?"

"As lovely as a whole day in bed with you sounds; let's pick another locale," Rory said.

"Where to, Ace?" Logan asked, "Rome, Athens, Berlin, Munich, Madrid, Amsterdam; just name the place and we'll go there."

"While I am ready for a new locale," Rory said, "I think you were onto something when you mentioned lying around all day."

"I'm starting to rub off on you then," Logan said.

"A little, but I'm thinking about lying on a beach; not in a bed," Rory said, "I'm thinking of a more traditional honeymoon spot."

"Ahhh, leave it to me to make the arrangements," Logan said.

"Where are we headed?" Rory asked.

"Aruba," Logan said.

"Isn't Aruba pretty far away from here?" Rory asked.

"Yes, but I was thinking maybe we could go to Aruba for the rest of our trip," Logan suggested.

"What about Stratford-Upon-Avon?" Rory asked, "We were going to go back to London before we went home and stop there."

"Can we stop there next time we are in London?" Logan asked, "I'd gladly take you back there but I have no desire to return to London on our honeymoon."

Pouting slightly Rory nodded in agreement, "I understand."

Logan had booked them on a flight that was leaving Venice in less than four hours for Paris. From Paris they would fly to Amsterdam and from Amsterdam they would finally fly to Aruba. In total is would take nearly 20 hours to reach Aruba, but the more the couple thought about the tropical location with it's beaches and fruity drinks; the more excited they became for this last leg of their honeymoon before heading back to reality in Connecticut. Quickly they packed their bags and arranged for transport to the airport. Rory was reluctant to leave behind the beautiful flowers that Honor had sent them; but Logan was right; it would be impossible to take them along. As they stood in the entry way with their luggage Logan plucked a lily out of the flower arrangement, broke the stem and tucked the flower gently behind Rory's ear.

The couple arrived at the airport with just a little over an hour until their flight time. It had been a nightmare trying to get to the airport with the nasty weather. After checking their bags the couple walked slowly toward their gate. Noticing a bookstore up ahead Rory sped up.

"Ace, what's the hurry?" Logan asked.

"A bookstore!" Rory said, "I want to see if they have any travel books about Aruba."

Grabbing Rory's arm, Logan stopped her, "Ace, let's let this last destination be relaxed and spontaneous. Let's not go by the book this time."

"You knew I was a planner when you married me," Rory said.

"I'm not saying that I haven't enjoyed your planning each step of the last few cities that we spent time in," Logan said, "I'm just saying. Let's play this one by ear. Let's relax, sleep in, and lay on the beach all day. Let's not worry about schedules and fitting everything in."

"Well…" Rory said.

"You have been a tremendous travel guide. I never knew there could be so much to see while traveling. But, this is our honeymoon; it's meant to be relaxing and restful," Logan explained.

"Fine," Rory said, "I'm not sure that there are many sights to see in Aruba anyway."

"That's the spirit," Logan said.

The flights to Paris and Amsterdam went by quickly while Logan taught Rory how to play hearts. During the four hour lay over in Amsterdam the couple ate dinner at a decent restaurant in the airport. After dinner Rory asked Logan if she could call her Mom even though they'd vowed not to use their cell phones for the remainder of the trip. Being as there was over 2 hours left until their flight left for Aruba Logan agreed that checking their messages and letting someone know of their plans might not be a bad idea.

When she turned on her phone Rory was alerted to the 7 new messages in her inbox. There was one from Luke who awkwardly congratulated her on her marriage; it was sweet considering that he and her mother were no longer together. Babbette and Patty had called and left a very loud message together congratulating her. Lane left a frantic message saying that she and Zach were having twins! Her mother had left a subdued and cryptic message to call when she got a chance. The remaining messages made her blood run cold. Each of the three remaining messages was left by Dean. Apparently he'd heard the news as well.

"Rory, this is Dean," the message began angrily; "I can't believe you married that rich bastard. What were you thinking? Don't you know that you're supposed to be with me? I can't believe that I gave you another chance to be with me and this is how you repay me."

It is obvious as the second message begins to play that Dean is intoxicated, "Rory…all I have to say to you is that your rich jerk of a husband better watch his back…he doesn't deserve you and if I see him I will personally kick his ass."

In the final message which was left 24 hours after the intoxicated message Dean is sober again, "Rory; I left you a message yesterday and said that I'd kick Richie Rich's butt if I ran into him. Well, I wasn't kidding about that; I may have been drunk when I called last time; but I was serious. I don't know what this guy think's he's doing; marrying another guy's girl."

Seeing the look of horror on Rory's face Logan took her cell phone and listened to her messages himself. When he'd finished listening to the messages he calmly handed the phone back to Rory before viciously kicking his carry on bag. Rory flinched at his action but knew that he would never hurt her. Logan dialed a number on his phone and waited for an answer.

"Hey Tom; this is Logan Huntzberger. Listen, I need you to do me a legal favor. I am going to forward you some voicemails from my wife's call phone. Her ex-boyfriend is stalking her and leaving threatening messages. We need a restraining order filed against him. His name is Dean Forrester; he lives in Stars Hollow," Logan said. He listened carefully to what Tom was telling him, before thanking him and hanging up the phone.

"Thanks," Rory said quietly, feeling guilty for subjecting Logan to this on their honeymoon.

"Hey," Logan said gently has he turned her face up to his, "I'm not mad at you. I am mad at this son of a bitch ex-boyfriend of yours who can't get it through his thick skull that you don't want anything to do with him. He has no right to treat my wife this way."

Rory smiled unconvincingly before saying, "I should call my Mom and see what she needs. I should also warn her about Dean."

"I'm going to go to the bathroom," Logan said, "I need to cool off."

Rory dialed the number at the Inn. She needed to hear her Mom's comforting voice.

"Dragonfly Inn," Lorelai answered perkily.

"Mom?" Rory said the panic and tears starting to rise.

"Hon, what's the matter?" Lorelai asked.

"Dean's been calling and leaving threatening messages on my cell," Rory said, "I don't know what to do."

"Does Logan know about the messages?" Lorelai asked calmly.

"Yes and he called his family's lawyer to get a restraining order," Rory said.

"Well, everything will be okay then," Lorelai said, "Right?"

"I guess so. I'm just so upset. I don't understand when Dean became this person. He used to be such a sweet, nice guy. Now he scares me. He called me a few days ago and because I was stupid and didn't look at the caller id I answered. He doesn't seem to understand that he and I have been over for years. He's keeps saying that he's going to kick Logan's ass for stealing his girlfriend," Rory explained.

"Sometimes people have a hard time letting go of their first true love," Lorelai said.

"I just hate this. Logan is upset, I'm upset…we shouldn't have to be dealing with this on our honeymoon," Rory said.

"I'm glad Logan took legal action. If I see Dean I'm going to say something though," Lorelai said.

"Be careful!" Rory warned.

"I will," Lorelai said.

"You left me a message?" Rory asked.

"Oh, yeah," Lorelai said, "You didn't tell me that you gave Grandma full control of the Hartford wedding."

"Are you mad?" Rory asked.

"No, I understand why you did it. I just felt dumb when my mother called me to start making some plans and I had no idea what she was talking about," Lorelai explained.

"Sorry Mom," Rory said.

"It's okay," Lorelai said.

"What kinds of plans is she working on?" Rory asked curiously.

"Well, she wanted to know if I had a picture from your first wedding that she could base the life sized ice sculpture of you and Logan on," Lorelai began.

"You're kidding!" Rory said.

"I am kidding," Lorelai said with a laugh, "I don't know she wants to hold the wedding at the country club instead of at the Dragonfly. She did still ask Sookie to cater. I think she has a lot of choices for you to make when you return from your honeymoon. Speaking of which, where are you guys?"

"Right, I was calling to tell you that we left Venice and are headed to Aruba. We plan to spend the rest of our trip in Aruba before we return home," Rory said.

"Nice, I'm glad you guys are going to a tropical location," Lorelai said.

"I'm ready to relax and lie on the beach," Rory said.

"Well, have a good time. Call me when you get back home," Lorelai said.

"Thanks Mom, watch out for Dean," Rory replied.

As Rory shut off her cell phone and put it back into her purse Logan reappeared looking considerably more calm. "I'm sorry about before. I just can't stand that guy. If you don't mind me asking; what went on with you two that has him so reluctant to let go?"

Rory swallowed hard, not sure that she wanted to share her history with Dean with her new husband, "Are you sure you want to talk about this?"

"Of course I'd prefer to pretend that I'm the only guy that's ever been in your life; but I'm not that naïve. You don't have to worry about me passing judgment…remember who I used to be," Logan said.

"Just don't say that I didn't warn you," taking a deep breath Rory continued, "Dean was my first boyfriend. We started dating when I was 16. We dated for three months and then broke up because he told me that he loved me and I wasn't ready to say it back. Several months later I realized that I loved him too and when I told him that we got back together. We were together for well over a year when Jess moved into town and eventually Dean and I broke up and I moved onto Jess. Jess broke my heart when he left town without telling me he was leaving after about 6 months. Dean got married during my freshman year at Yale and by the end of my freshman year he was cheating on his wife, with me. It went on through the summer and into my sophomore year. The night of that stupid Yale Alumni Party at my Grandparents was when everything ended. He saw me with you and assumed that we were together. Last I heard he and Lindsay, his wife, were trying to make it work again. But then when he called a few days ago he said that they were over and he wanted me back."

Logan was silent for a moment before saying, "Thank you for being honest with me, I'm sure that was hard. At least now if we need to move forward with any kind of legal action I understand the entire back story. Can I ask just one question?"

"Sure," Rory said quietly.

"Did you sleep with him?" Logan asked.

"Yes, he was my first," Rory said reluctantly.

"Were there others?" Logan asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Rory snapped, "You're just torturing yourself. How would you feel if I asked you the same questions?"

"Rory, I'm not trying to upset you, I'm just curious. Are there other old boyfriends that are going to become problems?" Logan asked.

"No," Rory said defensively, "I've only ever slept with you and him. Jess is the only other boyfriend and I don't see him becoming a problem since he wouldn't even fight for me when we were together. If you have any other questions they're going to have to wait." Picking up her purse off the floor next to her feet Rory fled to the bathroom in a huff. Didn't he understand that talking about this embarrassed her? She didn't want to admit all her past transgressions to him; he was the only one who mattered anymore.

Logan watched her quickly retreat. He didn't blame her; he'd crossed the line and asked about things that he shouldn't have. He wished she understood that he was only asking so that he could protect her. She was right; he wouldn't want her asking him the same questions of him. Goodness knew that his past looked a lot worse than hers ever could. He wasn't even sure anymore how many women he'd been with. It was hard to believe that he was only the second guy that Rory had ever been with; but he knew that she was telling him the truth. Thinking about Rory and how good she was made him wonder how'd she'd ever even given him a chance.

Rory had shed a few hot tears of embarrassment in the bathroom before pulling herself together and finding an empty seat at a gate just a few down from the one Logan was sitting at. Understanding why this was a conversation they needed to have Rory pulled her sidekick from her purse and hoped that Logan still had his on. She typed furiously for a minute and pushed send. A few gates away Logan's sidekick buzzed in his pocket. Surprised he pulled it out and read:

Rory: I'm sorry. Maybe this conversation will be easier if I don't have to look you in the eye.

Logan: I'm sorry too. Lord knows my past looks really horrific next to yours; but these still can't be easy questions to answer.

Rory: I understand why you are asking; but you have to understand that you are the only one who matters anymore.

Logan: I know that; and you're the only who matters for me too. I would tell you my numbers if I thought they'd make you feel better; but they might have the opposite effect.

Rory: I wouldn't want to know. Ignorance is bliss.

Logan: Yeah, I figured you'd say that. So, Dean and I are really the only ones?

Rory: Yes, really. And Dean was a mistake. I'd take that one back if I could. It was so out of character for me and I am so ashamed by it now.

Logan: I find it really amazing that there have only been two. But it makes me feel really special.

Rory: Too bad your numbers can't give me the same kind of special feeling.

Logan: Ouch, Ace; that's a low blow. Maybe you can feel special because out of all those girls I picked you. I committed to you and I married you.

Rory: I know that is pretty special.

Logan: So, who is better me or Dean?

Rory: I can't believe you just asked me that.

Logan: Why?

Rory: I'm not about to ask how I stack up to the multitudes of women you've been with.

Logan: But I only have one guy to compare to; there's a 50-50 chance that I'll come out on top.

Rory: Do you really think I'd tell you if I thought Dean was better?

Logan: Good point.

Rory: All joking aside though; you are better; no comparison.

Logan: Whoo-Hoo.

Rory: You are so vain.

Logan: Why am I better?

Rory: Probably because you have so much more experience…

Logan: Touché. None of the others I've been with compare to you either. I wasn't in love with any of them and that makes a huge difference.

Rory: I noticed that too.

Logan: You weren't in love with Dean?

Rory: I thought I was at the time; but it doesn't compare to what we have.

Logan: Two more questions. One, how is that a good girl like you ever gave a bad boy like me a chance?

Rory: I have a thing for bad boys. What can I say? Jess was a bad boy too and that was why I dumped Dean for Jess. Dean got boring. What's your last question?

Logan: Where are you?

Rory: Wouldn't you like to know.

Logan: I would.

Rory: I'll be there in a minute.

Rory stuffed her sidekick back into her purse and headed toward their gate. Logan was waiting with their things, where she'd left him. With embarrassed smiles they approached each other.

"I'm sorry," Logan whispered.

"Me too," Rory whispered back.

As he leaned in to kiss her she closed her eyes and knew that while this conversation was uncomfortable, in the end it just made them stronger.


	17. More Confessions

Logan and Rory had been in Aruba for three sun-filled days and could honestly say that besides their hotel and the beach; they hadn't seen much of the island. Rory was discovering that she might have a real knack for lounging and relaxing. It had been daunting to give up her travel books, schedules and plans; but she could now better understand the appeal of the more spontaneous lifestyle her husband typically lived by. Their impending return home loomed ever nearer and while the couple was dreading the matters awaiting them at home; they knew they couldn't stay away forever.

Currently they were lying on the beach. Rory was reading and Logan was busily making notes in a legal pad in preparation for the big meeting with his parents upon their return to Connecticut. Reaching the end of a chapter Rory laid her book facedown in front of her and turned to Logan.

"I can't believe you're still working on that," Rory said.

"I just want to be sure that I have covered all our bases," Logan replied.

"Don't you think that you're making a bigger deal out of this meeting than it really is?" Rory asked, "After all, your parents called and congratulated us and apologized for what happened before. With them behind us now, it seems like this meeting is more of a formality than anything."

"Ace," Logan began as he leaned over to kiss her on the forehead, "My delightfully trusting Ace, how I wish I had your faith in my parent's motives. I, unlike you, can't quite believe that their accolades were entirely heartfelt. If I know them as well as I think I do I need to be worried that they were putting us on to get us to drop our guard before the big meeting."

"You really think your parents would do that?" Rory asked with wide eyes.

"I don't just think they would; I know they would. I've seen it before with my own eyes," Logan confessed, "I know I've said this to you before Ace, but I'll say it again; my parents are ruthless people. I know that you find that hard to believe, but it's true."

"But why?" Rory asked.

"Money and power; they corrupt people," Logan said, "That is a big part of the reason that I want to get out of the family business while I can. I don't want to turn out like them someday."

"You won't," Rory said.

"How do you know that?" Logan asked as he shifted on his towel to face her.

"I won't let you," Rory replied.

"I can only hope it's that simple," Logan said as he grasped her hand, "But how do I know that years and years ago my parents didn't have this same conversation vowing to never let the lifestyle corrupt them?"

"I guess you don't," Rory said, "But you grew up in their household seeing how miserable they were and knowing how miserable you and Honor were. I can't image you'd willingly let that happen to us."

"I will do my best to never become what my parents are and if you ever see me starting to slip remind me of this conversation here today," Logan said.

"Will do," Rory said with a smile, "Now, how about you rub some sunscreen on my back. I think I need another coat."

Rory rolled onto her stomach and handed Logan the sunscreen. As he rubbed the lotion into her skin he kneaded and massaged her muscles. Ooohing and Aaahing in appreciation Rory said, "Maybe if you remain disowned you can become a masseuse."

"I thought you wanted me to become a trashy romance novelist," Logan teased, "Are you sure you want me doing this to other women all day?"

"Good point, trashy romance novelist it is," Rory said with a grin as she rolled onto her back.

"Would you like me to lather up your front side Mrs. Huntzberger?" Logan asked with a smirk.

"Tempting as that sounds," Rory replied with a smile, "I think I can manage my front side on my own."

Their first few days in Aruba had also been spent on the beach; they were going to return home with magnificently glowing tans. They had tried snorkeling, sailing and horseback riding. The previous day, rather than lying on the beach they had laid next to the pool at the Manchebo Beach Resort and Spa where they were staying. While the pool with its pool side bar was beautiful and fun each had felt more relaxed lying next to the roaring ocean.

The couple spent another hour at the beach before Logan said, "Let's take a dip in the ocean before heading back to our room."

"Sounds good, I'm hungry," Rory replied as Logan took her hands and pulled her up onto her feet.

"Of course you are," Logan said with a smile.

As the couple raced into the salty spray and splashed in the tepid water Rory realized what a honeymoon was truly all about. It was about getting completely comfortable with your new spouse in your new roles as husband and wife before returning home to convince everyone else that your new roles really fit. She and Logan had been fairly comfortable with each other for a while now; but a trip like this introduced a whole new level of intimacy. She had never spent so many days and nights in a row with Logan all to herself. Facets to his personality that she'd never seen before were beginning to immerge along with habits and quirks she'd also never seen. She loved knowing that deep down, this was the real Logan and he was showing her all of him.

Rory had her arms wrapped around Logan's neck and her legs wrapped around his waist as they gently bobbed up and down in the warm water. Rory leaned her head back and closed her eyes against the glare of the sun and said, "I'm so glad we came here. I think we really needed this kind of relaxation before we headed home."

"Me too," Logan said as he lowered his lips to hers exposed neck.

After a few minutes Rory broke away and said, "Know what I'm thinking?"

"You want to go back to our room and have mind-blowing, passionate sex?" Logan asked as his hands freely roamed her body under the water.

"Sure, that too," Rory said, "But actually I was thinking that we should send Lane and Zack here for their honeymoon."

"Excellent idea," Logan said, "Now about the mind-blowing sex…"

In response Rory reached her hand down into Logan's swimming trunks. A moment later Logan removed her hand and said, "As hot as it just was that you did that; trust me when I tell you that getting arrested for public nudity or something similar is more embarrassing than it's worth."

Blushing brightly Rory said, "We weren't nude yet."

"I know, but much more of that and it wouldn't have been far off," Logan said, "Let's go back to our room."

"When were you arrested for public nudity?" Rory asked.

"Ace, trust me when I tell you that this is one of those stories that you'll be happier not hearing," Logan said.

Disappointed by his response Rory grew quiet as they gathered their things back on the beach. It irked her that less than a week ago she'd spilled basically her entire dating history because of the threats Dean had made; when he still hadn't revealed anything about his past to her. So much for feeling like he was revealing all of himself with her.

As they walked back to their room Logan chattered happily, looking forward to continuing what he'd suggested at the beach. As they neared the room he began to realize that Rory was not responding to any of what he was saying. Upon entering the room he reached for her hand; quickly she turned away leaving Logan with no doubt that Rory was upset about something. She marched into the bathroom and locked the door. Logan stood puzzled as he listened to Rory climbing into the shower. Unsure of how to proceed Logan helped himself to a bottle of water from the mini bar, grabbed his phone and moved out onto the patio. Dialing Colin's number, Logan hoped he'd answer.

"Hello?" said a distinctly feminine voice that didn't belong to Colin.

"Is Colin there?" Logan asked.

"Logan, this is Steph. Colin is in the shower," Steph said.

"Are you two back together again?" Logan asked.

"We'll see," Steph said, "Can I help you with anything?"

"Maybe," Logan said. Carefully he explained to Steph what had happened at the beach just prior to Rory clamming up. When Steph didn't immediately sense what the problem was she asked if they'd had any other arguments recently that this might relate to. Logan thought back and relayed Rory's irritation over sharing her entire dating history with him after Dean's threats.

"Well, that's it then," Steph said.

"What's it?" Logan asked.

"You pretty much forced her to give you every graphic detail of her past. Then when something about your past comes up you plead the fifth. I'd be annoyed if I was her too. You know everything about her but you won't share anything about you," Steph explained.

"Okay, I understand that but there are a lot of things in my past that would probably send her running," Logan said.

"While I doubt that, I understand what you're saying. I think you need to explain that to Rory, but then share some things from your past that you don't think will scare her away. She was very trusting of you and shared her past. The least you can do is trust her too and share some of yours," Steph said.

"Very wise words Steph, thank you. I guess I didn't think it was a big deal for her to share her past because compared to mine her's is practically spotless," Logan explained.

"It may look spotless to you; but I'm sure it doesn't feel that way to her," Steph said.

"True," Logan said, "Thanks again Steph. I think I heard the bathroom door open; I should go talk to her."

"Good-luck," Steph said.

Logan uncomfortably reentered their suite and approached Rory who was sitting on their bed trying to rub lotion into her burnt shoulders. Logan took the bottle from her and began gently applying the lotion.

"I'm sorry," Logan said.

"For what?" Rory said in a tone that told Logan that she didn't believe he even knew what he was supposed to be sorry for.

"I made you tell me the whole nine yards of your whole dating past and I haven't given you an inch of mine. It isn't fair of me not to trust you the way you trusted me," Logan said.

"You don't trust me?" Rory asked in a small voice.

"I trust you completely; I'm just afraid that some of my more outrageous stories would scare you away from me. I'm afraid of losing you," Logan admitted.

"You know that would never happen," Rory said, "I love you. It doesn't matter to me what you did in the past."

"I need you to respect that there are stories from my past that I will never feel comfortable telling you," Logan said. Rory nodded lightly and he continued, "But you definitely deserve to hear some. How about I go shower and over dinner at the restaurant I'll tell you some."

"Sounds great," Rory said, "But what about the mind-blowing sex?"

"Let's save it for after dinner," Logan suggested, "I'll need it to reassure me that you're really still committed to me after the stories I have to tell."

As Rory finished dressing for dinner and waiting for Logan to immerge from the shower she returned to her thoughts from earlier in the day; honeymoons really were meant for gaining a more intimate comfort level with one's spouse.

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry this update took so long. I have been terribly, horribly sick with a nasty, nasty cold. But I am just as committed to this story as I've ever been. I'm not sure if the next chapter should just move onto the final days of their trip or if I should devote it to Logan's admissions of his past. Thought? I'm open to suggestions. Thanks for reading, please review.


	18. Stories from the Past

As Rory carefully applied her make-up in front of the large bathroom mirror she could see the fear in her own eyes. She still believed that she had a right to know about some of her husband's past; but now that he'd given in and was going to share some it with her, she wasn't sure she wanted to know anymore. What if the things he had to tell her scared her, like he'd thought they would? She wasn't prepared to lose her faith in him, in them. Trying to mentally shake herself out of the doubt she'd created she reminded herself how much she loved him and that she'd known all a long that he'd led a different kind of life than she had. Her mind flashed to a face from her past, another blonde-haired boy who was not so unlike her husband; Tristan. Rory may not have admitted it back then, but she had been attracted to Tristan. Unlike the way things had worked out with Logan; Rory had never pursued things with Tristan because of his playboy ways. Back then Rory hadn't wanted to be with someone who had been with so many other girls. It made her wonder what had changed. For the sake of her marriage she sincerely hoped that it was fate, destiny and true love.

Logan emerged from his shower and quickly dressed for dinner. The couple was nearly silent as they headed to the restaurant; each lost in their own thoughts about the admissions he was about to make. They were seated in a secluded corner per Logan's request. The couple remained silent until after they'd placed their food orders. Awkwardly Logan spoke first, "I'm not even sure where to begin."

"We don't have to do this, I'm not sure I want to hear anymore," Rory blurted.

"No, I think you're right. You deserve to know about some of my past," Logan said seriously, "But don't worry I will not divulge all."

"No names," Rory added hastily, deciding that if she had to hear this she didn't want to be able to associate his past with anyone in particular.

"Okay, no names," Logan said, "Any more guidelines?"

"Just be careful about what you tell me, please," Rory pleaded.

"I will Ace," Logan said, "I'm probably more nervous about what this conversation could do to us than you are."

"I'm not sure that's reassuring," Rory said, "It just makes my imagination work overtime."

"Don't worry, I'll start slow," Logan said.

Not feeling like he had the right to touch her while they were having this conversation Logan kept his hands in his lap. Quietly he lowered his eyes a little and said, "Back when you and I became exclusive I said that I'd never been in a serious relationship, which was true. However, I had considered it once or twice before you come along."

"I don't want to know names," Rory reminded him.

"I know," Logan replied, "Back in high school there was this girl that I had gotten pretty serious about. We had gone on several dates and I was going to ask her to be my girlfriend. On the very day that I decided I was going to ask her I overheard a conversation that changed everything. I was in the library at school working on an article for the school paper. This girl and her friend came into the library too. They were looking for books for a paper and I was sitting at a study desk on the other side of the book shelf. I had actually gotten up from the desk to walk around and say hi when I heard my name mentioned and I froze. Her friend asked her if we were still dating. She replied saying that we were and she hoped that I was going to ask her to be my girlfriend soon. The other girl asked if we were in love. I thought love was a strong word at our age but I just kept listened. She said, no, she wasn't in love with me but considering who my family was and what we had I would be a good boyfriend until we both went away to college. I was stunned, but apparently so was her friend. Her friend said, so you'd go out with him even though you aren't into him because he's a Huntzberger? She said yes right before they turned the corner and came face to face with me."

"Oh my gosh," Rory said sympathetically, "What happened?"

"That day in the library I just turned and walked away. She tried to stop me, telling me that I'd misunderstood; but I hadn't," Logan said, "I never spoke to her again. Colin and I orchestrated a major prank that day in order to get expelled. I never wanted to see her again and the best way to achieve that was to end up at a different school."

"I'm sorry," Rory said.

"Don't be," Logan said with a wry smile, "It wasn't your fault. But it did play a large part in shaping my playboy ways. It hurt a lot to find out that the only reason she was dating me was because of my family's name and money. I decided that I wasn't going to let that happen again. I was not strong enough to give up girls completely; but I decided that from now on I wouldn't stay with one girl for very long. I wouldn't let myself get attached and I would never commit. I won't lie to you, after I made that decision I was with a lot of girls; sometimes more than one in a day. Afterward I wouldn't remember their names and if I saw them again I wouldn't necessarily even recognize them. It became like a game to me. I was known around Yale as the most eligible bachelor and girls just wanted to see if they could tame me."

"Is that it?" Rory asked.

"No, there's more," Logan said, "When my parents finally started to hear stories about their playboy son they were enraged. That was not the way an heir should behave. They started arranging dates for me with wealthy heiresses and that was when things got worse. Some of them concocted some kind of romantic connection between us and ultimately they got their hearts broken when they caught me with another girl. Some of them I had a couple of nice dates with before we quietly went our separate ways. But then there were the heiresses who were in the same boat I was in. Guys only wanted them for their money and their family's name. These girls had come to the same conclusion that I had and were only looking to have a good time and not get attached. I got in a lot of trouble with some of those girls because together we were reckless."

"What kind of trouble," Rory said.

"I had a few lawsuits to deal with; destruction of private property and whatnot. I spent more than one night in jail after driving under the influence. I found out much later that one of the girls got pregnant, possibly by me, and later had a miscarriage," Logan admitted, "Eventually I knew that I had to get out of the cycle I was in. That was when Finn, Colin and I took a year off and sailed to Fiji."

"Ahhh, the notorious yacht sinking incident," Rory said.

"Yes, that," Logan said, "You seem to be taking this all very well."

"Well, it all just seems rather sad to me. I'm sure you are skipping over the graphic details; those would make this much harder to hear," Rory said, "Can I ask you a few questions?"

"Sure," Logan said.

"You make it sound as if you were always dating or at least sleeping with girls who wanted a chance with you; did you ever go after girls you had developed an interest in?" Rory asked.

"Typically I didn't because I didn't want to become attached, it was safer to stick with girls who wanted me, but I didn't necessarily have an interest in them. There were a few girls who I pursued, hoping that they'd be the one. But usually I'd get close enough and figure out that they were the same as all the rest," Logan said.

"When did you have your firsts?" Rory asked.

"What are firsts?" Logan asked.

"You know, like the first time you had sex, your first kiss, your first crush," Rory explained.

"Before I tell you I should warn you that rich kids experience their firsts a lot earlier than normal kids. It has something to do with not getting enough affection from their parents," Logan said, "I honestly can't remember who my first crush was, but my first kiss was when I was 11; it was at a birthday party and we were playing seven minutes in heaven. The first time I had sex I was 13. It was with an older girl, I think she was 15. Her family had a house down the beach from us in the Hampton's."

"Compared to you I was practically ancient before I had my firsts," Rory said.

"That is one of the things I love most about you," Logan said, "Your innocence."

"You mean my lack of experience," Rory countered.

"Quantity does not necessarily mean quality," Logan said, "And Ace, you are a firecracker in bed; so you definitely aren't lacking in the quality area."

Blushing brightly Rory suggested they finish their conversation while walking on the beach. They had finished their meal during the course of all Logan's admissions and had been sitting at the table sipping wine for the last half an hour. Logan agreed and paid the bill. The couple stopped by their room to leave behind her purse and their shoes. At the beach Logan rolled up his pants and they walked slowly together in the warm water.

"That wasn't nearly as horrible as I thought it would be," Rory said, "Mostly now I just feel sorry for you."

"Don't feel sorry for me, Ace, "Logan said, "I'm just getting to the best part, when things started to get better."

Rory clasped Logan's hand and said, "Oh good, continue please."

"When Colin, Finn and I returned to Yale after our year away I hoped things would be different, or at least slightly better. At first I felt myself slipping back into my old ways but then I met someone who changed everything," Logan said, "At a coffee cart was where I initially met this girl. She was with a guy who had bartended parties mine in the past. Colin, Finn and I were slightly condescending to this guy and the girl called me on it upon our next meeting."

"You can use real names at this point, I'm pretty sure I know who you are talking about," Rory said with a satisfied grin, "And I still maintain that you guys were an ass to Marty."

"Fine," Logan said, "We were asses, can we get on with the story?"

"By all means," Rory said.

"So, I'd met this girl who pretty much spelled out her disdain for me and all people like me. Normally under these circumstances I'd have avoided her like the plague or figured out some way to get back at her; but instead I sought her out. I liked fighting with her. I enjoyed her wit and she didn't make a bad argument. I was chagrin to admit it, but I had some kind of weird attraction for this girl," Logan said.

"What happened next?" Rory asked, clearly enjoying every minute of this story.

"I tried to ignore the feelings I was developing for this girl; she wasn't even my type. I continued with my playboy ways but I found that my heart just wasn't in it anymore," Logan confessed.

"Your heart was with the girl," Rory said.

"Yes, my heart was with the girl. So I gave in and the girl and I finally stopped dancing around each other and had an embarrassing make-out session in a closet at her grand-parents' vow-renewal ceremony. After that we started dating. I had never dated someone who challenged me so much and I liked it. Still not ready to give up my old habits I dated a few other girls on the side. Eventually the girl decided that she just couldn't give up her old habit of wanting a one-woman man and decided to end things with me. Normally in this situation the girl gives an ultimatum but not this time. I was upset. I was falling for this girl and I'd been waiting for the ultimatum so I could try the commitment thing again without being the one to propose it," Logan said.

"Really?" Rory asked.

"Really," Logan said as he halted their walk so he could kiss her, "I convinced the girl that I could be a one-woman man and we've been together ever since."

"You left a few parts out," Rory said.

"I know, but you know how the rest goes," Logan said."

"True," Rory said, "So my insulting you the second time we met really did it for you? Maybe I should start insulting you more often."

"Your insulting me was kind of annoying; but you were a very good debater and that intrigued me. I also liked how you stuck to your convictions," Logan said, "When I knew that the attraction between us was mutual it was nice to know that it wasn't due to my money or my name. By the way, when did you know you were attracted to me?"

"The first couple times I met you I completely detested you," Rory said.

"Really?" Logan said as he wrapped his arms around her, "I hadn't noticed."

"When you started showing up at the Yale Daily News I was annoyed but I couldn't ignore the way I was feeling," Rory said.

"How were you feeling?" Logan asked huskily.

"I thought you were very good looking, and charming when you wanted to be. I was annoyed that I was captivated by you and attracted to you; but at that point it was already too late," Rory said, "I think deep down inside I already knew that I'd do whatever it took to get you."

"And that's what led you to agree to date me no strings attached?" Logan asked, "Knowing you like I know you now; that must have been hard for you."

"It was, I don't like to share," Rory said as she leaned in to kiss him, "But at least it was an in."

"Did I reveal enough?" Logan asked between quick kisses along her collar-bone.

"Mmmm-Hmmmm," Rory moaned, "Let's go back to our room."

Logan may not have revealed all from his past; in fact he may have only skimmed the surface, but for Rory that was enough. She'd wanted to know that he trusted her enough to share his memories and his emotions. She didn't want to feel like he knew everything about her and she knew nearly nothing about him. His admissions, no matter how small a portion of the whole that they were, had helped. His declarations about his feelings toward her from the time they met convinced her that fate, destiny and true love were all in the works here. As far as she was concerned there was no doubt about it, they were meant to be.

**Author's Note:** The vast majority of people who voted one way or the other as far as whether or not I should include Logan's past in this story, voted yes. This was a hard chapter to write, but I hope I did it some justice. I feel like it is better for just skimming the surface of what he went through and not getting into the nitty gritty—perhaps I am wrong though. Thanks to those who wished me will—I am finally getting over my cold, ear infection and sinus infection—whew! Please review!! I think the next chapter will be their return to the states.


	19. The Honeymoon's Over Baby

Today they were heading back to real life in Connecticut and the weather was cooperating perfectly. Had they woken up to the same clear skies and sparkling sunshine they'd been treated to each of the other days they'd spent in Aruba, they'd be more reluctant to leave. The gloomy dark skies and torrential rain outside their window matched their moods about returning home today. Yesterday had been the perfect last day of their honeymoon. They'd spent the morning lying on the beach as they'd grown accustomed to. After a picnic lunch on the beach they had a couples massage in the on-site spa at their resort. The massage inspired a nap, in which no actual napping took place, before they had dinner in the most well known restaurant on the island. At sunset the couple had walked on the beach one last time before turning in for the night. It really had been perfect.

This morning Rory was moody and Logan's patience with all things was running short. Their flight back to Hartford left at one this afternoon. It would be a full day of flying with a two hour lay over in San Juan, Puerto Rico. While they both knew it was time, neither was ready to return home. It might not be so bad if they could return home and simply unwind a little before diving into their everyday lives, but that was not going to be possible. Right away tomorrow morning Logan and Rory were scheduled to meet with Mitchum and Shira about the terms of Logan resuming his place as the heir to Huntzberger Media and his place in the family. Later that same day they were expected at the Gilmore estate for an engagement/elopement party, which Emily insisted upon throwing immediately upon their return home. Rory appreciated her Grandmother's enthusiasm in comparison to the reception that Logan's parents were giving them; but she wished she'd give them more time before the big bash. The couple simply had to hope that the meeting with his parents went well so the smiles at the party were not forced. Then to top everything off the day after the meeting and the party Emily insisted that they have an all day meeting to get some decisions nailed down about the September wedding that she was planning.

"Have you seen my other pink flip-flop?" Rory asked in annoyance as she was trying to cram everything into her already overstuffed suitcase.

"No," Logan yelled back from the bathroom where he had just stepped out of the shower.

"Do you have room in your suitcase for some of my stuff?" Rory shouted back.

"I don't know, I'll check in a few minutes," Logan snapped back.

A few minutes later when Logan had finished in the bathroom he found Rory standing by the large window in their room, watching the rain come down. He gently wiped a single tear from her cheek and asked, "What's the matter?"

"I don't know. Nothing," Rory said quickly, "Well, I just wish we weren't returning home to such a mess. We're both stressed out about it and now we're yelling at each other for no reason."

"I know, I'm sorry," Logan said quietly as he kissed her on the cheek, "Hopefully the meeting tomorrow goes well and we can stop stressing out about it and enjoy our party."

"I'm sorry too. I've had a great time on this trip with you. I'm having a hard time adjusting to the fact that tomorrow I have to go back to sharing you with everyone," Rory sad sadly.

"I had a great time too, Ace," Logan said with a smile as he wrapped her in his arms, "You know we still have a couple of hours before we need to head to the airport, what do you say we spend some of that time back in bed, making up?"

"Not that I wouldn't love to," Rory said in an apologetic voice, "But I already showered, we have packing to do, I haven't even had a decent cup of coffee yet this morning, let alone breakfast."

"How about a good make-out session then?" Logan suggested as he leaned in.

Rory pushed him away playfully and whined, "Logan, no!" Squirming out of his embrace she screamed and ran across the room. Logan dashed after her and in no time a full out game of cat and mouse had erupted. This went on for nearly ten minutes before Logan caught his bride and tackled her to the floor. Logan was afraid at first that he'd hurt her and quickly rolled off of her but he was pleasantly surprised when she pulled him back on top of her and kissed him hard and long on the mouth.

With his head still spinning from the kiss and slightly out of breath Logan said, "Whoa Ace, our little game of chase really riled you up."

"Oh my god, you have no idea," Rory said before her mouth reconnected with his and she began pulling on the clothes he'd just put on 15 minutes earlier. They were naked within minutes and seconds later he entered her.

After a frenzied fifteen minutes on the floor the couple lay curled together, satisfied. "Ace, I need a cigarette," Logan said.

"But you don't smoke," Rory informed him.

"I know, but that's the kind of sex that was. It was so good that you need a cigarette when it's over," Logan said.

"Well, in that case, I need one too," Rory said with a smirk.

"Looks like you need to take another shower," Logan said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I'll just rinse off, it'll be fine," Rory said as she started to rise up off the floor.

Pulling her back down Logan wrapped his arms around her and cupped her face in his hands, "I love you Rory. And no matter what we are returning home to we will get through it together."

"I know, and I love you too," Rory said.

Several hours later the couple was on a plane bound for San Juan. They spent a large portion of their travel time reviewing all the notes Logan had compiled in preparation for their meeting. They also spent some time in quiet silence, holding hands and thinking about all the wonderful times they had spent on their honeymoon. When they landed in Hartford in was nearly 9:30 at night. Luckily they had left the Escalade in the airport parking ramp. They piled their luggage into the back of it, paid the astronomical fee for parking and headed for home. Upon arriving home Logan and Rory were greeted with mountains of gifts, vases of flowers and piles of mail in their entryway. They also had 43 new messages on their home voicemail. It was good to be home.

The next morning Logan and Rory were up early dressing and mentally preparing for the meeting with his parents. Mitchum had asked the couple to meet with them at their home over brunch, which seemed like a positive sign that he didn't prefer to conduct the meeting in one of his cold conference rooms at the office. Logan dressed in a suit and tie to show his parents that he meant business and Rory chose a simple black pant suit to complement his wardrobe choice.

As they arrived at the Huntzberger mansion, Rory's stomach clenched and she visibly paled. Before approaching the door Logan helped Rory out of the car, giving her a few words of courage and kissing her softly on the lips. She smiled up at him and straightened his tie. From an upstairs window of the mansion Shira witnessed the entire exchange and she felt her heart warm faintly toward the girl; she appeared to really love him and vice versa. At least she wasn't the worst match for her son. Hurrying down to Mitchum's office she knocked briskly at the door, flinging it open before Michum had time to answer she declared, "They have arrived and we are going to go easy on them. Give them whatever they ask for."

"Someone changed their tune," Mitchum said, "Last night you were practically drooling over ways that we could make them bend to our will."

"I know, but I changed my mind," Shira said, "I was watching them from an upstairs window as they arrived and he really loves her. I think if we want him back in the family we need to respect that she will be part of this family too."

"Very well," Mitchum said as he turned back to the paper he was reading.

The couple was greeted at the door by Shira herself who smiled over the newlyweds and embraced the couple in congratulations. As they followed Shira to the dining room for their meeting Logan and Rory exchanged mystified looks of disbelief behind her back. They were seated in the dining room while Shira left to inform the kitchen staff that brunch could be served. Logan and Rory stared at each other in shock until Mitchum entered the room and warmly greeted the couple as well. When Shira returned to the room and the brunch service began the foursome filled their plates silently. When finally the kitchen staff had retreated to the kitchen Logan bravely asked, "Are we in the right house?"

"Pardon me?" Shira asked.

"I was wondering if we were in the right place," Logan repeated, "When we announced to you a couple of weeks ago that we were engaged I was disowned. Now we have returned home after eloping in Europe and you two are acting like this is the happiest news you've ever heard. Forgive me for being confused."

"We were trying to put that ugliness behind us, Logan," Shira said quietly.

Still confused Logan just gaped at his parents until Mitchum said, "What your mother is trying to say is that we were rash to dismiss Rory. She is a lovely girl and she obviously makes you very happy. We would like nothing better than for you and your bride to rejoin the family and pretend that this whole fiasco never happened."

"The way you treated her was unforgivable," Logan said sharply.

"We agree," Mitchum said, "And we apologize."

"We accept your apology but you'll have to forgive us for being a little wary," Rory said.

"Understandable," Michum said, "Let's eat and then get down to your demands."

After eating and sharing the story of their impromptu Austrian wedding, business commenced. Mitchum told the couple he had no demands of his own; he simply wanted his son and his wife to rejoin the family and for Logan to resume his positions as heir. With that said Mitchum opened the floor to Logan and Rory to make their demands known.

"I was expecting to be meeting with my father, the hard-nosed business man; not my father who loves me and wants what is best for me. In light of that our list of demands is probably going to come out sounding a bit harsh, but here is goes," Logan said.

Logan's requests ranged from the obvious to the seemingly extreme. Logan would return to the family business but he would work out of a home office in either New York or Hartford. He would be willing to travel for business but he was not to be gone from his wife's side for more than a week at a time. Rory was to have a career if that was what she so wished and it did not necessarily have to be a job within the Huntzberger Media Conglomerate. Logan and Rory wanted to live their own life; while they were open for suggestions, they would be the ultimate decision makers in their own lives. While Logan would return to the family business and understood that he needed to learn and be trained in different aspects, the job could not take over his life. It is to be understood that Rory and any children produced are the center of Logan's universe and while work is important it takes a backseat to family. The list went on and on spelling out all the expectations that Logan and Rory had upon returning to the family and the business.

"Sounds like you've thought of everything," Mitchum said.

"I hope so," Logan said, "We've been thinking about this for weeks now."

Each of the four signed the multiple copies of the documents Logan had drawn up stating their demands. Logan tucked a copy into a folder that he'd deliver to the family lawyer later in the day before standing up from the table. "I guess that's it then," he said.

Shira, Rory and Mitchum rose as well and Shira said, "We'll see you at the party tonight at Richard and Emily's."

"We'll be there," Rory said.

For a moment after the front door shut behind them the couple stood in shock over how well the meeting had just gone. "What just happened in there?" Rory asked.

"I don't know," Logan replied, "But I think it was good."

Back on the other side of the door Shira said to Mitchum, "Come watch this." They peered through a curtained window in the front room and watched as their ecstatic son picked up his glowing bride and twirled her around. They watched them kiss and finally they watched Rory shed a few happy tears in relief. Logan helped her into the car and the couple drove away. "Aren't they sweet?" Shira said, "I think we made the right decision."

"Ridiculous," Mitchum said rolling his eyes. But as he walked back to his office he could feel a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. For once he felt like he had really done right by his son and it felt wonderful.

**Author's Note:** I'm sure after reading this chapter some of you might feel like I took the easy way out in making Mitchum and Shira accept Rory and look fondly upon their marriage. Keep in mind that this is my story and this is the way I would love to see things go. It might be boring and safe, but it is happy and I happen to love my rose-colored glasses. Please review! Next chapter is the engagement/elopement party.


	20. Party Time

Logan and Rory had returned to their apartment practically floating on a cloud of happiness. The meeting with Logan's parents had gone a million times better than expected and tonight they were celebrating their engagement and elopement with all their friends and family; what could be better. Though the party was not until eight o'clock tonight Rory immediately went into party primping mode. She put the water on to fill the Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom and plugged in her hot rollers to heat. Back in the bedroom she flipped through the dresses in her closet hoping to find something amazing.

"I have nothing to wear to this party tonight, Logan," Rory called to her husband who had not followed her into the bedroom. When he did not respond to her Rory curiously wandered back out into the living room.

Logan was at the door signing a delivery slip for a package. "Here, it has your name on it," Logan said as he shut the door and turned to hand her a large flat box.

Rory opened the card attached to the top of the box. It was in her Grandmother's hand writing and said, "In case you don't have time to shop for a new dress for tonight's party. Love Grandma." Rory opened the box and laid eyes on one of the most beautiful cocktail dresses she had ever seen. It was a red and black tulle, strapless dress featuring a straight cut ruched strapless bodice and a grosgrain ribbon tie belt. The skirt of the dress was full with floral lace appliqués and a crinoline netting for a flared shape.

Logan peered into the box from where he stood beside Rory and whistled appreciatively, "You are going to be a knock-out in that, Ace. Emily must be counting on becoming a great-grandparent very soon!"

Rory laughed at his implication and playfully swatted him on the arm and said, "Speaking of pro-creating…I have been on birth control pills for a month now so we can ditch the condoms."

Placing his hands seductively on her hips and drawing her to him Logan groaned appreciatively and said, "And by telling me that you must not want me to be able to keep my mind on anything besides getting you into bed tonight."

"Down boy," Rory laughed, pushing him away mischievously, "I have to go make sure my tub isn't overflowing."

"I have a couple of errands I need to run. Do you mind if I leave for a little bit?" Logan asked.

"No, I plan on pampering myself from now until we leave for the party anyway," Rory said.

"Do you need me to pick anything up while I'm out?" Logan asked.

"Yeah um…Tampons, peach-mango body-wash, Advil, Kleenex, some nail polish to match my dress," Rory began. Seeing her husband's horrified expression she laughed and said, "I'm just kidding. I just wanted to see your reaction."

"Thank god," Logan breathed a sigh of relief, "I'd do just about anything for you, Ace. But I'm not yet prepared to personally buy you tampons."

Logan kissed her good-bye and left the apartment. Rory plucked her cell phone from her purse and made her way to the bathroom. She shut off the water, disrobed and climbed into the hot, sudsy water. For a moment she just laid back and relaxed. Deciding her moment was over Rory picked up her phone from the edge of the tub and dialed her Mom's number.

"Hey sweets!" Lorelai answered.

"Hey Mom," Rory replied with a fond smile gracing her face.

"You're home!" Lorelai said happily.

"We got home last night around ten," Rory said, "Sorry I didn't call sooner. We pretty much just fell into bed as soon as we got home."

"Dirty," Lorelai said.

"Mom," Rory cajoled, "We fell into bed because we were so bushed from all the traveling."

"I know, I kid," Lorelai said, "So, how was the rest of the trip."

"Amazing," Rory said, "Aruba was so relaxing. But that's not why I called."

"Oh intrigue, do tell," Lorelai said with interest.

"Logan and I met with his parents today over brunch at their house," Rory imparted.

"Yikes," Lorelai said with a hint of doom in her voice, "How did that go?"

"A million times better than expected," Rory gushed, "I'm not sure when the change of heart took place but they were warm and gracious and congratulatory. They agreed to all of our terms without batting an eyelash and they didn't even have any terms of their own."

"Oh Kid, that is totally phenomenal," Lorelai replied, "I bet you and Logan are ecstatic."

"We are," Rory responded, "We are totally looking forward to the party tonight, now that we have another reason to celebrate."

"I'm so glad that everything is falling into place," Lorelai said, "But listen, I should get back to work so that I can make it to the party on time tonight and not incur the wrath of your grandmother."

"Okay," Rory said, "I'll see you tonight."

When Rory emerged from her bath she toweled dry, slathered on some body lotion, wrapped herself in a robe and settled herself on the couch to paint her toenails. As her toenails and hair dried Rory lay on the couch and flipped through channels on the TV; finally settling on The Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network. After watching Ina make a meal of comfort foods that made her mouth water Rory wandered into the kitchen to see if she could scrounge up something to snack on. Finding nothing Rory returned to the bathroom to roll her hair in hot rollers and apply make-up.

"Rory?" Rory heard Logan yell from the entry way as she had just recapped her mascara and threw it back into her make-up bag. "A little help, please!"

Rory ran toward the entry way to find her husband weighed down with packages and a dry cleaner's bag. "What's all this?" Rory asked as she took some of the packages from him and set them on the table.

"I picked up my tux from the dry cleaners, I had a few errands to run and I picked up a late lunch," Logan explained.

"You picked up food! You're a saint," Rory squealed, "Did you know that we have no food in our apartment?"

"Well, that happens when everything goes bad while you're away on vacation for over two weeks," Logan said.

"So what were your other errands?" Rory asked curiously eyeing the other packages.

"I stopped at my travel agent and picked up some vouchers for Lane and Zach's honeymoon present. I also picked up some fun Aruba themed things that we can give to them and hide the vouchers within. Are they going to be at the party? I thought we could surprise them tonight?" Logan asked.

"Thank you for taking care of that; you are awesome," Rory said.

"I know," Logan said placing a kiss on her cheek, "Now, let's eat. I'm starving."

The rest of the afternoon and early evening flew by as they prepared for the party. Before they knew it they were standing back in the entry way making sure they had everything before they departed for the Gilmore estate.

"I love this dress," Rory said as she twirled a little causing the skirt to flare out a bit.

Pulling her closer to him Logan said, "I love it to. You look amazing tonight. And not that you need any more help in looking amazing; but I have an addition to your outfit." Logan pulled a long black box out of his pocket and handed it to his wife.

"Logan, you didn't have to do this," Rory said accepting the box from him.

"I know I didn't. I just wanted to. Consider it a wedding present," Logan said with a smile.

Rory opened the box and was again impressed by how good her husband was a picking out jewelry. In the box was a beautiful pearl pendant. More specifically it was a cultured Akoya pearl and diamond pendant. The 8 millimeter round pearl was accented with six baguette diamonds and ten round diamonds set in a yellow gold bail which hangs from a yellow gold wheat chain. "Logan, it's perfect. Thank you," Rory said with tears in her eyes, "But I don't have anything for you."

"You're plenty," Logan said as he lifted the pendant from the box and moved to place it around her neck.

"Thank you again," Rory said as she admired her necklace in her reflection in the entry way mirror, "You can fully expect to receive something amazing after the September wedding."

When the couple arrived at the Gilmore Estate they could see that Emily had outdone her self. Even the gardens were decorated with strings of white twinkling lights. Before they knocked on the imposing front door the couple took a moment to compose themselves.

"You ready?" Logan asked.

"I think so. You?" Rory replied.

"I'm slightly nervous to face all our family and friends who were not invited to our real wedding," Logan admitted.

"Me too," Rory said, "But when they see how happy we are, I'm sure they'll forgive us."

"I'm sure you're right," Logan said and he leaned down and kissed her gently.

"I love you, Logan," Rory said.

"I love you too, Ace," Logan replied.

Emily chose that exact moment to open the door and exclaim, "Our guests of honor have arrived!" A wave of applause rippled through those near enough to hear the announcement as Logan and Rory were pulled into the house and embraced warmly by Emily and Richard who was standing just behind his wife. As Emily squeezed Rory in a bone crushing hug she whispered, "Rory we are so proud of you. Congratulations on your marriage."

As the couple was finally allowed to move further into the room they were in awe of the elaborate decorations and the number of people in attendance at the party. A string quartet was playing and people were dancing. Waiters were circulating with appetizers and beverages. Near a large table which held something that looked suspiciously like a wedding cake was a large framed photo of the couple on their real wedding day in Austria, which could only have been supplied by Lorelai and Christopher. Another table in the hallway was weighed down with gifts and cards for the happy couple.

Logan and Rory slowly worked their way through the room greeting guests and accepting congratulations for their marriage. Despite their fears they hadn't yet spoken to anyone who expressed anything but understanding over not being invited to the real wedding. Everyone seemed to be thrilled for them and were simply looking forward to their repeat wedding in September. Emily had done an exceptional job with the guest list all their friends and family seemed to be there. They had spoken with Honor and Josh, Paris and Doyle, Colin, Finn, Stephanie, Lane and Zach, Mitchum and Shira, Christopher and Lorelai, Sookie and Jackson, Luke, Kirk, Babbette, Patty and Morey and many, many more. When the couple had finally made their way around to everyone in the room, an hour and a half later they were handed glasses of champagne and told that Emily had a few announcements.

The string quartet stopped playing and Emily took center stage with a microphone, "Thank you all for coming tonight as we celebrate the marriage of Logan and Rory." Emily paused for applause before continuing, "I think we were all a little surprised to hear that they had eloped in Austria; but it sounds like it was a lovely and romantic wedding. We hope that all of you can join us for another wedding ceremony for the couple in September; you will all be receiving invitations shortly." The guests applauded some more before Shira joined Emily on stage and Richard and Mitchum became visible off to the side.

Shira took the microphone from Emily and turning toward Logan and Rory said, "The four of us know you'd prefer that we not buy you a house; but that is our wish. We will however respect your wishes and let you be a part of the selection process. Also," Shira had to raise her voice over the applause, "Mitchum and I would like to express our sincere congratulations to the newly married couple, our son and his bride, we are truly thrilled for them and happy to welcome Rory into our family."

"Thank you all again for coming," Emily said when she'd accepted the microphone back from Shira, "We would now like Logan and Rory to open this next dance."

Logan handed his and Rory's champagne flutes to a passing waiter and took his bride's hand. As they approached the open area of the dance floor Logan approached one of the member's of the string quartet and whispered something into his ear. The couple took their place on the floor as Rory asked quietly what he'd said.

"Just wait for it," Logan said as he placed a hand on her waist and drew her close.

The quartet began to play and Rory realized instantly what song Logan had requested. It was the song that since he'd sung it to her in Venice, would always be their song. Tears prickled her eyes as Logan whispered the words to the first few lines into her ear, "What are you doing the rest of your life? North and south and east and west of your life? I have only one request of your life that you spend it all with me."

Around this point other couples began joining them on the dance floor. Logan and Rory slow danced through a couple of songs that Rory did not recognize. The next song she knew and was biting her lip to keep from singing the words along out loud. Logan grinned down at her and said, "Sing to me, Ace."

"I'm a terrible singer," Rory said with a slight blush.

"I don't care," Logan said as he bent his head until his ear met her mouth.

Waiting until the song reached the part she liked best Rory hummed and then softly sang, "I'm so in love with you, whatever you want to do is alright with me. You make me feel so brand new I want to spend my whole life with you."

Ignoring the bright blush on Rory's cheeks Logan cupped her face and kissed her with all the passion her words had ignited in him. Finally pulling away Logan whispered, "We're probably putting on quite a show here."

Noticing Lane and Zach among the people who had caught them kissing Rory said, "Maybe we should give Lane and Zach their gift now."

"Good idea," Logan said, "I'll go grab it out of the car and met the three of you in the garden."

"Can I borrow you two for a minute?" Rory asked as she approached Lane and Zach.

"Um, sure," Lane said, clearly confused as to why.

Out in the garden Logan held a duffle bag which he handed to Lane and said, "Our belated wedding gift to you."

"Thanks!" Lane said trying to sound enthusiastic as she turned the bag in her hands to study it.

"Dude, we really need a duffle bag," Zach said lamely.

"That real gift is inside," Rory said finally.

"That's good," Zach said, "A duffle bag is kind of a lame gift."

"Zach," Lane reprimanded as she struggled with the zipper. When she finally got the bag open she pulled out two large beach towels, some sun-screen and scuba diving gear. Lane and Zach looked a little perplexed until Logan instructed them to look in the side pocket of the duffle bag. Lane pulled a thick packet of papers out of the pocket and read the attached letter from the travel agency, "Mr. and Mrs. Huntzberger present to you in honor of your recent marriage an all inclusive trip for two to Aruba."

"You got us a trip to Aruba?" Lane squealed as she threw her arms around Rory.

"Yeah, well, your honeymoon sucked," Rory said, "We wanted you two to have a real honeymoon before the babies arrive."

"Wow, Aruba," Zach said, "I don't even know where that is."

"It's an tropical island," Lane informed her husband, "Thank you guys, I don't even know what to say!"

"Just enjoy it!" Rory said.

Logan and Rory hugged the couple and turned to return to the party. They were interceded by Lorelai, "Hey, guys, Emily sent me looking for the two of you. I wasn't trying to snoop but I overheard…what a nice gift."

"Well, their honeymoon really sucked and it's probably going to be a long time before they get to go on vacation alone again," Rory said.

"So, Grandma is making you come back here tomorrow and go over wedding plans?" Lorelai asked.

"Yep," Rory said, "And Logan doesn't know this yet but his presence is required as well."

"What?" Logan groaned beside his wife, "Why do I have to come?"

"I don't know but let me warn you now that resistance if futile," Rory said.

"Crap," Logan said and as he pulled Rory closer to him added, "You'd better make it worth my while."

Rory began to laugh even before her Mother's outburst, knowing that it was forthcoming. "God, my eyes," Lorelai said covering her eyes, "Just because you two are married now doesn't mean I want to see that."

The three of them made their way back into the party before Emily sent out the search dogs. "Oh good, I've been looking everywhere for the two of you," Emily said as soon as she'd spotted them. "We would like to start serving the cake and need you to cut the first slice."

"Aren't we going to do that at the wedding?" Rory asked, "Why do we need to do it now."

"Just for fun," Emily replied.

"Oh goody," Logan whispered in Rory's ear, "Are we going to toss the bouquet and the garter next?"

Rory giggled and received a backward glance from Emily who was leading them toward the cake table. The cake was beautiful and the couple took their places beside it. Together they grasped the knife and cut a small piece out of the bottom layer. Each breaking off a piece they carefully fed it to each other before a chaste kiss. After the cake was distributed and devoured the party began to break up. Logan and Rory took their places near the door to say their good-byes and thank everyone for coming. It was nearing two in the morning before almost everyone had left. Mitchum, Shira, Emily, Richard, Lorelai and Christopher were the only other people still remaining.

"Thank you for the wonderful party Grandma," Rory said hugging her Grandmother.

"You're welcome my dear. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon," Emily said bidding her granddaughter good-night.

The couple said their good-byes to their parents and grandparents and walked tiredly out to their car. They were surprised as they approached to see someone sitting on the hood of the Porsche. Rory gasped in alarm as she realized that it was Dean. Logan tightened his grip on Rory's hand as he boldly said, "Did you forget about the restraining orders?"

"No," Dean said back confidently, "Don't worry I'm not going to hurt either of you. I just want to talk."

"Well, neither Rory or I want to talk to you. You need to leave or we will alert the police," Logan said.

"Hear that guys," Dean said, "Neither of them want to talk to me." From behind the few remaining cars a few of Dean's old high school buddies appeared with baseball bats.

"Well, you're going to listen then," one of Dean's buddies yelled as she smacked the Porsche with his bat leaving a large dent in the hood.

Rory made a dive toward the car but Logan held tight to her arm and pulled her back, "Don't worry about the car, Rory," he whispered quietly, "If you can get your cell phone out of your purse without them noticing call your Mom's number so she can hear what's going on."

"We're listening, Dean," Logan said loudly, "What do you have to tell us?"

"I wanted you to know what a prick I think you are, Richie Rich," Dean spat, "What kind of man steals another man's girl."

"Listen, Dean," Logan said calmly, "I don't want to fight about this but when Rory and I started dating you had left her to go back to your wife. I don't understand how you think she's still your girl."

"She'll always be my girl," Dean screamed back at him, "I loved her; but I was never good enough. I tried to move on but I can't get over her."

"You need to let it go man," Logan said, "Rory moved on and she's married to me. She doesn't want to be with you anymore."

At those words Dean grabbed a bat from one of his friends and started beating on the Porsche, breaking the windshield and denting the roof and the hood. From within the house the entire scene was being witnesses by Mitchum, Shira, Emily, Richard, Chris and Lorelai who had been alerted by Rory's phone call. Lorelai had called the police and hoped that they would be arriving any moment. Rory had moved so that she was standing behind Logan, tears were streaming down her face.

"Rory," Dean yelled in a strangled voice, "Rory!"

Rory cringed but came out from behind Logan and yelled back weakly, "What?"

"I love you, Rory," Dean said.

"I'm sorry Dean; I don't love you anymore. I love Logan, my husband. You need to leave us alone now," Rory said.

Her words just sent Dean into another violent fit which he mercifully took out on their car instead of on them. When the police arrived Dean resisted arrest, insisting that he had every right to talk to his girl. When they finally managed to handcuff Dean and stuff him into the back of a patrol car they also rounded up his buddies and took them in too. Statements were taken from Logan and Rory before they were free to head home. With their car hitched to the back of a tow-truck headed for a body shop, they accepted a ride home from Chris and Lorelai.

Considering the events that had taken place Emily had told them that it wasn't necessary for them to meet the next day to discuss the wedding. Clearly the couple would need a day or two to work through the mess with Dean. It was nearly five in the morning when Logan and Rory climbed into bed. Rory lay stiffly beside Logan worried about what this latest Dean confrontation would do to them. When he pulled her close and wrapped his arms tightly around her she was relieved but surprised to hear the fear in his voice when he said, "That guy is seriously unhinged. I'm worried about what he might try to do next."

Rory began to cry and said, "I'm so sorry; I can't believe he won't leave us alone."

"Shhhh," Logan said comforting her, "We'll figure it out. No one gets away with scaring my wife."

**Author's Note:** Wow, this was a long one. I think Dean's arc in the story is about done. I will put a link on my profile to both the dress Rory wore to the party and to the pendant that Logan gave her. The dress is supposed to be hot pink and brown; but in the picture on my computer it looked more like red and black so that is what I called it. Please review! I think the next chapter is going to speed up with wedding planning, bachelorette and bachelor parties, back to school and work…lot's coming up.


	21. A Day Apart

Within a few days of the Dean debacle at their engagement party Logan and Rory were able to breathe a sign of relief. Dean would be spending the next six months in prison. In Hartford if you flagrantly violate a restraining order a hearing is not necessary to convict. Dean's violation was deemed flagrant due to the fact that he showed up at a party in Logan and Rory's honor that he was not invited to with a baseball bat and intent to harm. He had also been charged with destruction of private property and stalking. Most of Dean's buddies also ended up with lesser sentences for their participation in the incident. Hopefully six months in prison would teach Dean that it was in his best interest to leave Logan and Rory alone. The Porsche was at the body shop and the work would be completely covered by Dean's auto insurance company.

Today Rory was meeting with Emily to make some decisions regarding the wedding plans. Logan was supposed to be coming with her but instead had been summoned by his father to meet regarding Logan's new assignment with the family business. Despite the early hour the couple was wide awake, but reluctant to get out of bed and ready for their busy day.

"I'm going to miss you today," Rory said as she snuggled even closer to her husband than she already was, "Do you realize that we have been together 24/7 for over three weeks now?"

"I know, Ace," Logan said with a smirk, "It's about time I get a day to myself. I'm getting sick of you." Rory pretended to be offended, even though she knew that he wasn't being serious. "You know I'd rather come with you to your Grandmother's," Logan told her.

"I know," Rory said, "I hope your father sticks to our agreement. I have to start school in a few weeks and I don't want to find out that you're being shipped off to China."

"My father doesn't own any companies in China," Logan said.

"I know but you get my point," Rory said.

"We probably need to get moving if we are going to make it to our respective meetings on time," Logan said regretfully.

Rory agreed and together they climbed out of bed. An hour later each was ready to go. Though they were both headed to Hartford for their meetings they decided to take separate vehicles. It was hard to say how long either of their meetings would last. They walked to the garage together and kissed good-bye. As Rory slipped behind the wheel in her car, her phone began to ring. She smiled as she looked down and read on the caller ID, "Logan."

"Miss me already?" Rory said with a grin.

"Of course," Logan said, "I was hoping you'd be free to meet me at Carbone's for dinner."

"So we can discuss our day apart?" Rory asked.

"Around seven?" Logan asked.

"Sounds good," Rory said, "I'll see you then."

"Love you," Logan said.

"Love you too," Rory said before they hung up.

Rory arrived at the Gilmore Estate precisely on time and was quickly dragged into the dining room by her Grandmother. The dining room table was covered with fabric samples, charts, diagrams, magazines, catalogs and notes. Rory was surprised at the sheer volume of effort her Grandmother was obviously putting into her planning; it made sense though. Emily hadn't yet gotten to plan a wedding for her own daughter so she was throwing herself into planning her granddaughter's, knowing this might be her only chance. Rory felt a slight pang of guilt remembering that this was not even the real wedding her Grandmother was planning so pain-stakingly for her. With those thoughts in mind Rory willed her self to remain upbeat, cheerful and especially grateful over these wedding plans.

"Wow Grandma," Rory said with bright enthusiasm, "Look how busy you've been."

"I know," Emily cooed admiring her piles on the dining room table, "I'm so excited to show you everything.

"Well, we shouldn't waste any time then. Let's get started," Rory said as she pulled out a chair from the table and sat.

"I'm so glad you asked me to plan this wedding for you, Rory," Emily said, "It means a lot to me that you'd entrust me with the task. I know you and your mother have unique tastes and I tried to take that into consideration."

"Cool, thanks Grandma," Rory said.

"Let's start with the bigger details," Emily said as she opened a file in front of her. "Upstairs I have some wedding gowns for you to try on. The gown you wore for your Austrian wedding looks lovely in the photos I've seen but I didn't feel it fit the theme of this wedding as well."

"What exactly is the theme of this wedding?" Rory asked curiously.

"Well, I don't know that I have a theme per say," Emily said, "But I want it to be elegant and romantic and sophisticated. Everything your wedding in Austria wasn't."

Rory pushed back a wave of frustration with her Grandmother and reminded herself that sometimes her Grandmother had a way of saying things that sounded critical when it wasn't meant that way.

Seeing the expression on Rory's face Emily quickly said, "Not that your wedding in Austria wasn't lovely I'm sure. But it's hard to have the polish and style in an event that was planned in less than an hour."

"It was very romantic Grandma. But I know that your planned wedding will be just as much fun for us in a more traditional sort of way," Rory offered.

"I also have some bridesmaid dresses for you to choose from," Emily said as she led Rory upstairs, "By the way, how many bridesmaids are you planning on having?"

"Four or five," Rory said.

"Five is too many," Emily snapped, "Who are the four?"

Thinking quickly Rory rattled off, "Lane, Steph, Paris and Honor." She'd have to leave her mother out of being a bridesmaid this time around; but at least she'd gotten to be a bridesmaid at her real wedding.

"Isn't Lane pregnant?" Emily asked.

"With twins!" Rory said excitedly.

"Good Lord, how are we ever going to fit her into a dress?" Emily said, "Are you sure you don't have a more suitable friend to be the fourth bridesmaid?"

"I want Lane," Rory said as calmly as she could manage, "If her dress has to look slightly different to accommodate her growing belly, than so be it."

"Fine," Emily conceded.

When Emily finally escorted Rory into a large room that she'd never seen before Rory was stunned. There had to be at least 25 different wedding dresses and 10 different bridesmaid dresses hanging on racks around the room. "Rory, this is Holly. She has brought a selection of gowns from her store and is going to help you try them on."

"We could have just gone to her store Grandma," Rory said, equally impressed and appalled over having her own private dress fitting at her Grandmother's house.

"Nonsense Rory," Emily said, "When someone is planning on spending as much money as I am on this wedding they should be catered to."

"Logan and I are happy to pay for the wedding," Rory interjected.

"It is customary for the Bride's family to pay for the wedding," Emily replied in a serious tone.

"I know, but we don't want to put you out," Rory said kindly.

"This is not up for discussion. It is the least your Grandfather and I can do for our only Grandchild," Emily said, "Why don't you and Holly get started on the first dress while I go ask the maid to bring up some refreshments."

As Rory and Holly stepped behind privacy screen set up in the corner of the room Rory noticed that Holly was practically shaking with nerves. "Are you okay?" Rory asked.

"Your Grandmother scares the wits out of me," Holly confessed quietly.

"She's really harmless, but I can see why you'd say that," Rory said, "By the way, I'm Rory, nice to meet you."

"Your Grandmother told me I should call you Mrs. Huntzberger," Holly said.

"Mrs. Huntzberger is my mother-in-law. Please call me Rory," Rory said.

Holly smiled gratefully at her as she helped her into the first gown. When she stepped out from behind the privacy screen her Grandmother had not yet returned. Rory looked more closely at the gowns hanging around the room and concluded that her Grandmother was most interested in having a fairy princess for a Granddaughter. Not to say that there weren't some really gorgeous dresses here; but most of them were a little too fluffy for her taste. When Emily returned she barely glanced at the dress Rory wore before rejecting it. So it went for seventeen more dresses. As Holly helped Rory into dress number nineteen Rory was sure she'd never escape from this endless cycle of trying on dresses. As Holly finished buttoning the back and Rory studied herself in the mirror she knew that this was the dress. It was a white and silver satin gown with a Chantilly lace overlay and was adorned with seed pearls and bugle beads. It had a corset back and a moderate train. It came with a matching wrap and purse. It was perfect. Rory grinned at herself in the mirror and Holly said, "This is the one, isn't it."

Rory nodded, unable to speak. She had been sure that she wouldn't find a dress that she loved as much as the one she'd worn in Austria. Holly found the matching tiara and veil to complete the picture. The tiara was silver with diamond crystals. It was simple with an elegant floral design. The veil was white and came down to the top of her thighs. It was double layered and had a crystal beaded edge. Before Rory emerged from behind the screen she said, "Grandma, this is the one."

"Well see…" Emily had begun to say when Rory appeared, "Perfect! Just perfect. Rory, you're right. This is the one. Let's move onto bridesmaid dresses."

Unfortunately Rory had to model those as well. Luckily it didn't take as long for Emily and Rory to agree on one. It was a beautiful floor-length beaded, chiffon gown in burgundy. When they finally went back downstairs the maid had lunch set up in the dining room. Over lunch Emily and Rory discussed flowers, decorations and the reception.

"Do you and Logan have a song?" Emily asked as she continually made notes.

"Actually we do," Rory said somewhat proudly, "It is 'What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life,' by Barbara Streisand."

"That is a lovely song," Emily said, "Would you like that to be the first song you dance to?"

"Yes," Rory said.

"Rory," Emily said carefully, "I heard through the grapevine that you were planning on hyphenating your last name."

"Yes, I am," Rory said.

"Are you doing that because you want to or because you think that is what your Grandfather and I wish you to do?" Emily asked.

"Honestly," Rory said, "I think hyphenated names are dreadful, but I'm the last Gilmore."

"That is very thoughtful of you," Emily said, "But don't hyphenate on our account. I think hyphenated names are dreadful too. Besides there is always the possibility that your Mom will have another child someday."

"You're sure?" Rory asked.

"Completely," Emily said. And it was settled; Rory would live out her days as Lorelai Leigh Huntzberger.

Emily and Rory spent the rest of the day making wedding plans. They talked about seating charts, guests, cake, food, dancing, music, china patterns, flowers, tuxes, jewelry, hair, make-up and everything else under the sun that could in any way relate to a wedding. Rory was relieved when her Grandmother finally shut the folder in front of her and said, "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Sorry Grandma," Rory said, "Logan and I are meeting for dinner to discuss our days. He was meeting with his father today to learn about his new assignment with the company."

"I understand," Emily said, "Next time then."

As Rory slid back into her car she looked at her watch and was surprised to see that it was already 6:30. She was due at Carbone's in only thirty minutes. As she pulled onto the road she hit speed dial on her phone for Logan's cell. It rang until the voicemail came on and she left a message, "It's me. I just left my Grandparent's house. I'm headed to Carbone's, I'll see you there. Love you."

When Rory arrived at Carbone's at 6:55 Logan had not yet arrived. She decided to get a table and wait for him. She ordered a club soda and browsed the menu. At 7:20 she tried his cell again and again got the voicemail. Starting to get irritated at 7:35 she pulled out her sidekick and texted him. "Where are you? I'm at Carbone's, sitting at a table, waiting for you." At 7:50 she was starting to get mad and scared and she called her Mom.

"Hey kid!" Lorelai said when she answered the phone, "What's up?"

"My blood pressure," Rory said hotly.

"Not following," Lorelai responded.

"I've been sitting at a table at Carbone's for nearly an hour waiting for my husband," Rory said irritatedly.

"Do you know where he is?" Lorelai asked carefully.

"He was meeting with his Dad to discuss his new assignment with the company," Rory said.

"He hasn't left you a message anywhere?" Lorelai asked, trying to be practical.

"Not my cell, not my sidekick," Rory said, "I guess I haven't checked the home voicemail but he knew I wasn't going to be home all day. I was at Grandma's all day planning the wedding."

"How did the wedding planning go?" Lorelai asked trying to distract Rory slightly.

"Long and very boring; but we did chose the most amazing dress," Rory said, "I almost couldn't breathe when I saw myself in it."

"That good, huh?" Lorelai said.

"I just wish Logan was here so I could tell him about it," Rory said sadly.

"I'm sure he'll show," Lorelai said.

"Late though," Rory said.

"Yeah, that's annoying," Lorelai agreed.

"I'll give it another fifteen minutes then I'm leaving. I feel silly sitting here alone. He could at least call," Rory said.

"Try not to assume the worst," Lorelai said.

"I wasn't an hour ago," Rory said bitterly, "But I'm starting to."

"Well, hang in there," Lorelai said, "Call me later and let me know that he's okay."

"I will," Rory said quietly before they hung up.

Rory waited another fifteen minutes. She tried contacting him again on his cell and his sidekick. She called home and remotely listened to the voicemail messages. Finally admitting defeat she asked for the bill for her club soda. As she left the restaurant she told the host that if her husband ever showed up to tell him that she went home.

When Rory arrived home she wasn't sure what to do. Should she go to bed and give him the cold shoulder when he finally arrived home filled with remorse? Should she sit up and seethe? Should she call his friends and see if they had any idea where he was? Suddenly she couldn't breathe with the fear that something really had happened to him. What if he had been in an accident and was in a hospital somewhere? They'd been married for less than three weeks, she couldn't lose him. Rory stumbled to the couch and sobbed into her hands.

**Author's Note:** A cliffhanger! I have a few ideas of where Logan might be; but I am open to suggestions. Let me know if you have ideas you'd like to see played out here. I am going to post links on my profile for this wedding dress, tiara, veil and bridesmaid gown. Please review! I love to hear how I am doing!


	22. A Day Apart Continued

Logan tried to inconspicuously sneak a glance at his watch; it was 6:30. If he wanted to make his dinner with Rory at Carbone's he needed to be leaving in fifteen minutes at the latest. Unfortunately his father had noticed him looking at his watch.

"Logan, am I boring you?" Mitchum boomed across his desk at his son.

"No Dad, it's just that I'm trying to keep an eye on the time. I'm meeting Rory at Carbone's for dinner at seven and I don't want to be late," Logan said.

Mitchum and Logan had been sitting in Mitchum's office for the last hour and a half further discussing Logan's new assignment. This morning when Logan arrived Mitchum wasted no time in announcing to his son that his new assignment was a leadership role at one of his smaller Hartford newspapers. Shortly after they climbed into Mitchum's car and drove to said newspaper office. Logan had sat in on meetings at his new job for the majority of the day with his father. He was expected to start reporting in for work at the office no later than Monday.

"So you want me to wrap this up?" Mitchum asked in a slightly menacing tone.

"If it wouldn't be too much to ask," Logan replied, "See here's the thing, Dad. I know that when I come back to work there are times that I will inevitably disappoint Rory. I don't want to start disappointing her today."

"Very commendable," Micthum said, "I think we've covered everything we needed to anyway. Why don't we walk out together. I'll give your Mom a thrill and show up at home early for a change."

Mitchum and Logan followed two middle-aged women and an elderly man onto the elevator, joining a few others who were already on board. As the doors closed Logan checked his watch again, 6:42. Someone pushed the button for the ground floor and the elevator started downward. Somewhere between the 12th and 13th floors the elevator made a horrible grinding noise, halted, then suddenly fell several feet before halting again and losing electrical power inside. The occupants of the elevator tried everything they could think of to either free themselves from the elevator or get it moving again but after ten frantic minutes it was clear that they were stuck. Miraculously the emergency phone in the elevator still worked and they were able to call for help.

Sighing with frustration Logan pulled his cell phone from his pocket to call Rory and tell her that he was running late. When he flipped the phone open a no service message was flashing on the display screen. Next he pulled out his sidekick and got a similar message. Asking around he discovered that no one's cell phones were working. He was trapped in an elevator and had no way to contact his wife. Someone tried to call home using the emergency phone but it was programmed only to call the police department, fire department and the lobby phone downstairs.

Logan slid down the wall and came to a seated position on the floor of the elevator. He flipped his cell back open and watched as the time changed to 7:00. Cursing he banged his fist on the floor of the elevator.

"Son," Mitchum said, "It's not the end of the world. You're stuck in an elevator, she'll understand."

"I know she'll understand. But right now she's probably sitting there wondering where I am. As the time passes and I'm unable to contact her she'll assume that it's started. That I've returned to the family business and already it's become more important to me than she has."

"Rory is a reasonable girl," Mitchum said, trying in the only way he knew how, to console his son, "She'll forgive you."

The occupants of the elevator spent nearly two hours in the darkness before the fire department and an elevator repair operator arrived to try and free them. They were the longest two hours of Logan's life. All he could think about was Rory sitting in that restaurant alone waiting for him and slowly losing hope that he was ever going to arrive. He tried multiple times to see if he had service to his phone but never had any luck.

Back at home Rory was frantic with worry; she had called every hospital in the tri-state area inquiring if her husband was there. She continually tried his cell and sidekick. She called Mitchum's office and cell number. She tired calling Shira at home to see if she knew where Mitchum might be. While she was frantic with worry she was also seething with anger. Part of her felt sure that he was simply in some meeting with his father talking business and had completely lost track of time. Then she felt guilty for doubting him. She wanted to leave the apartment to get out there and look for him but she felt sure that if she left a call would come on their apartment line.

When her cell phone rang she pounced on it and quickly answered it without reading the caller id. "Hello?"

"Hey Rory," Steph said, "What's up."

Rory burst into noisy tears, disappointed that it was not Logan calling.

"Rory, what's the matter?" Steph asked in obvious bewilderment.

Rory tried to calm herself and catch her breath so she could explain to Steph what was going on. Hiccupping she finally said, "Logan was supposed to meet me for dinner. I waited for him at the restaurant for an hour and a half before I came home. He hasn't called and I can't get a hold of him. I'm scared that something has happened to him."

Sensing that Rory could probably use some moral support Steph said, "I'll be right over."

Rory paced the apartment and continued trying to reach Logan or Mitchum via cell phone. When Steph arrived she handed Rory a large cup of steaming coffee and directed her to sit. Taking the phone from her Steph took over the phone calls Rory had been making.

Back at the elevator the fire department and elevator repair service had been working for over an hour to free the occupants. Finally reaching the end of his rope Logan yelled out to their rescuers saying, "Is there anything we can do to help speed this along?"

"Not at the moment," a voice replied.

"Can I ask a favor then?" Logan asked.

"Sure," the voice replied.

"Do you have a cell phone on you?" Logan inquired.

"Of course," the voice said.

"Would you mind calling my wife? I was supposed to meet her for dinner over three hours ago. I'm sure she is sick with worry," Logan said, "And none of our cell phones have service in here."

"No problem," the voice agreed.

Logan yelled Rory's cell number to the man and waited to hear that he'd gotten through to her.

Back at the apartment Rory's cell rang on the table. The caller id showed an unknown number but Rory quickly answered it anyway.

"Hello?" She said anxiously.

"Is this Rory?" a man asked.

"Yes," Rory replied.

"This is Stan from Hartford Elevator Repair Company. Your husband requested that I call and let you know that he has been trapped in an elevator with his father and several others for nearly three and a half hours," then man told her.

"Is this a joke?" Rory asked incredulously, imagining Colin and Finn finding something like this humorous.

"No, seriously, Miss. Your husband and several others have been trapped for hours in the elevator in the Hartford Times Building. None of them have cell phone service in the elevator. We've been working for over an hour to try and free them. Your husband wanted me to call and let you know that he is okay," Stan explained.

"Wow, okay," Rory said still sounding unsure of the validity of the call.

"If it will make you fell better I can have him yell to you," Stan offered.

"It would, thanks," Rory said.

After a minute or so Rory could faintly hear Logan, obviously yelling, "I'm okay, Ace!"

"Thanks Stan!" Rory said, "I'll let you get back to work."

When Rory flipped her cell phone closed she cried in relief knowing her husband was okay and that he hadn't stood her up on purpose. Steph hugged Rory and said, "You stay here and wait for your husband to come home. I'm going to run out and get you some take out so that when he does get home you can still have your dinner."

Back at the elevator Stan had performed the same kindness for any of the other people stuck in the elevator who needed it, as he had for Logan. Shortly after the calls had all been made Stan yelled to Logan, "Kid, you still want to help?"

"If it gets us out of here faster, absolutely," Logan yelled back.

"There's a removable ceiling panel in the back left corner of the elevator. If you can remove it and get someone to boost you up through it I will give you some more instructions," Stan yelled.

In the dark Mitchum and Logan had a hard time locating and then removing the panel, but they finally succeeded. Logan jumped and caught hold of the edges of the hole in the ceiling of the elevator. Once he'd made it that far his father and the two middle aged women helped to boost him up and out of the hole. Standing on top of the elevator Logan could see emergency lights lining the walls of the elevator shaft. After his eyes adjusted to the dim light again he yelled to Stan that he was ready for more directions.

"There's a ladder on the right hand wall. We need you to climb up a floor or so to one of the emergency control boxes. Inside there is a lever that will release the locking mechanisms on these outer doors. When you've done that we should have no problem getting everyone else out," Stan explained, "Got that?"

"Got it," Logan yelled back. Nervously Logan approached the edge of the elevator car beneath him and reached out for the ladder on the wall. Slowly he left the car and moved onto the ladder. Taking a deep breath he thought about how this was much scarier than any of the stunts they'd pulled in the LDB. Carefully climbing upward Logan quickly found the control box. He struggled to open the box while keeping a tight grip on the ladder. Inside the box was a large lever, which he pulled and instantly a mechanical clicking noise filled the shaft. Logan stayed put on the ladder as he watched the doors slightly above him crack open and the shaft fill with light. Squinting up into the brightness Logan saw a man standing where the door had opened.

"Kid, if you climb up a little further, I'll help you get out of there," Stan said.

Once Logan was safely out of the shaft he stuck his hand out to the man and said, "Thanks!"

"I'm Stan, nice to meet you," the man said, "Thank for your help down there."

"No problem," Logan replied, "I'm Logan Huntzberger."

Logan stuck around until the rest of the occupants were freed from the elevator. The elevator had to be cranked up a few feet to match up with an outside elevator door. Then the doors to the car were manually forced open. He walked out to the parking lot with his father where they said good-night and got into their own cars. Logan thought he'd detected a hint of pride in his father's voice over the daring rescue his son had just participated in.

When he opened the door to their apartment Rory was waiting in the entry way for him. The grin on her face quickly evaporated into tears when she saw him and the relief over his safety overtook her again. "I was so worried," she cried, "and just look at you." She held him at arms length and looked him up and down. He was streaked with grease from inside the elevator shaft.

"I know," Logan said as he pulled her back and held her close, kissing her forehead.

When they finally pulled apart Rory gestured toward the kitchen and said, "Steph brought us some take out; she was here for a while with me when I was freaking out about where you might be."

"I'm so sorry, Rory," Logan said.

"You don't have to be sorry. It wasn't your fault that elevator broke down," Rory said.

"All I could think about was you sitting at a table alone at that restaurant," Logan said, "And what you must have been thinking. My father kept assuring me that you'd understand but I just didn't want you to think I'd gotten caught up in the business and forgotten our dinner."

"I did worry that was what had happened," Rory said, "But I had faith in you."

"I'm glad," Logan said, "Let's eat; I'm famished."

"Me too," Rory said as she took his hand and led him toward the table.

Over their meal the couple discussed the wedding plans and Logan's new assignment with the company. Eventually Logan hopped into the shower and they went to bed. It had been a long day apart and each hoped that all their upcoming days apart wouldn't be as trying as this one had been.

Author's Note: Mystery resolved. I'm sorry to those of you who were wishing for more drama. Coming up…house hunting, back to work, back to school, the wedding…..etc. Please review and let me know what else you'd like to see included in this story. I love, love, love suggestions. I'm thinking this story is starting to wind to a close. But I'm already thinking about the sequel.


	23. House Hunting

It had been several weeks since Logan and Rory had returned home from their honeymoon and things were finally starting to feel normal again. Logan had settled nicely into his new job at the Hartford paper. He was back to working longer hours and wasn't home nearly enough; but Rory hadn't seemed to notice too much since her return to Yale for her senior year. Despite her reign as editor being over Rory still had a full plate to contend with. The September wedding was less than a month away and Emily seemed to have all the details in place. Occasionally she'd call with a last minute decision for Rory to make, but nothing too major. The house hunt was well underway also, but so far Logan and Rory hadn't toured a single house in person. Emily and Shira were continually sending over house profiles for them to consider via email but so far nothing had even been close to what they were hoping for. Everything so far had been too big, too cold or too old fashioned. Logan and Rory wanted a large house, but not enormous. They wanted it to be elegant but still feel like a home and not a museum. And they didn't mind an older house so long as it had been updated with all the modern amenities. They were beginning to think that they'd be in the apartment for a while yet, which would be fine with them.

It was late Saturday morning. Rory had been up for hours, studying in the living room when Logan finally appeared. "Why did you get up so early this morning?" He asked, stretching.

"Homework," Rory replied, "I wanted to get as much studying done early as I could. I haven't seen you all week and I was hoping we could spend some time together this weekend."

"I think I can squeeze you in," Logan said as he moved a pile of books off the couch and sat down next to his wife, "How was dinner with your Grandparents last night?"

"It was fine, but they were disappointed that you couldn't be there too," Rory said.

"I know; I'm sorry about that. My Dad just sprung that dinner meeting on me," Logan said.

"I understand," Rory said, "We just missed you."

"Have you had breakfast?" Logan asked.

"I had a bagel hours ago; I'd be open to brunch," Rory suggested.

"Sounds good," Logan said as he started helping Rory put her books back into her backpack. "What's this?" He asked as he picked up an official looking envelope off the coffee table.

Rory grinned at him and said, "My new driver's license with my new name."

Logan pulled the license out from the envelope and read, "Lorelai Leigh Huntzberger; what happened to Gilmore-Huntzberger?"

"I changed my mind," Rory said simply.

"Why? I thought you wanted to keep Gilmore for your Grandparent's sake," Logan said.

"I did, but my Grandma caught wind of my plan and nixed it. Apparently she and I agree that hyphenated last names are dreadful," Rory said, "Aren't you happy?"

Logan smirked at her and said, "I'm very happy. I'm sure it is very anti-woman's rights or something but I love that we have the same name."

"Me too," Rory said happily.

The couple quickly showered and dressed for the day before they headed out for brunch. They weren't yet sure what they were going to do with the rest of their day but as long as they spent it together they didn't much care what they were doing. Over brunch at one of their favorite restaurants they caught each other up on the recent happenings in their lives.

"Did I tell you that my Dad insisted upon hiring me a secretary?" Logan asked through a mouthful of toast.

"No," Rory said.

"Yeah, I think he's hoping that she can assist me in my work and it will help cut back on the number of late night hours I have spend at the office away from you," Logan explained, "Problem is that the woman is an idiot."

"Maybe she's still learning," Rory suggested, "I bet she'll improve."

"Yeah, maybe," Logan agreed, "I guess she's only been there for a week."

"Is she cute?" Rory asked.

"Worried?" Logan asked in return.

"Not particularly," Rory said, "Just wondering if I need to frame an 8 x 10 of one of our wedding photos for your office."

"She knows that I'm happily married," Logan said.

"Bobbi knew you were happily engaged too and that didn't stop her from trying," Rory countered.

"True, but Bobbi was used to getting anyone she wanted. My secretary is a troll," Logan said.

"Logan Elias Huntzberger, that is the rudest thing I have ever heard you say," Rory said sternly.

"But it's true. I'm not sure I've ever met a less attractive woman in my life," Logan said.

Trying to hide a small smile Rory said, "Still, you don't need to go around calling people trolls. I bet your Dad just hired the ugliest woman he could find because he remembers your playboy ways all too well."

A look of comprehension crossed Logan's face and he said, "I bet you're right. I'm going to call my Dad on it and have him hire me someone decent."

"Please give your current secretary another week," Rory said, "Maybe she'll turn out to be good."

"You are too nice for your own good," Logan said, "But you're right. I'll give the old troll another week."

"Stop calling her that," Rory insisted, "Do you even know her real name?"

Logan thought for a moment and said, "It's Susan or Millie…maybe Gertrude…"

"You have no idea what her name is," Rory said, "I'm ashamed of you."

"I will give her another week and learn what her name is," Logan said.

"Good," Rory said as she fished around in her purse for her ringing cell phone.

"Hello?" Rory answered when she'd found it.

"Rory," Emily said excitedly, "This is your Grandmother. Are you and Logan free at the moment?"

"We're just finishing up brunch; so, sure, we're free," Rory said apprehensively wondering what she was getting herself and Logan into.

"Shira and I are at a wonderful house and wanted the two of you to come and see it in person with us," Emily gushed, "Do you have something to write the address down on?"

The couple paid their bill and quickly left the restaurant. Following the directions Emily had given them they found their way to the house. As they pulled up outside, their stomachs dropped. It was one thing to explain via email why they hated a house that Shira and Emily were suggesting; it would be entirely different explaining in person why they hated this house. It was huge and imposing and looked completely outdated. It was no where near what Logan and Rory were hoping for.

Shira and Emily excitedly led the couple around the house pointing out what they felt were the house's most striking features. It was almost painful listening to the hope in their voices as they tried to get the couple to picture themselves living in this monstrosity. When they had finally seen the whole house and found themselves back in the foyer Emily asked, "Shall we put in an offer?"

Rory looked beseechingly at her husband who in turn said, "It's not a bad house, it just isn't what Rory and I were hoping for. I don't think we can see ourselves here."

"What exactly is the matter with it?" Shira asked, obviously starting to grow tired of suggesting houses that inevitably weren't what the couple was looking for.

"It's just too big. And we'd like something that is more modern and feels more homey," Rory said politely.

Emily sighed and said, "I suppose we'll just keep looking."

"What if," Logan interrupted, "Rory and I start looking and when we find a house we like we have you look at it."

"I suppose that could work," Shira said, "It would beat dragging you to houses that you hate."

"I think that is a wonderful idea," Emily said, "This is the realtor that we've been working with; perhaps he'd have some time to spend with you today."

"I think I have a few houses I could show you based on your criticisms of this house," the realtor said, "By the way, I'm Nathan."

The couple shook hands with Nathan and send Shira and Emily on their way. They had of course offered to come see the houses with them but Logan and Rory felt that their opinions of the houses might drive them away from their perfect house. The first house Nathan took them to was a lot more their style, but they still felt it was too large. The second house while smaller was too outdated. The third house was not too large and not outdated; but still felt too cold and imposing.

"I have one last house to show you and it might just be perfect," Nathan said, "It's not in Bridgeport or New Haven though. It is actually in Branford."

"Branford is closer to Hartford than Bridgeport anyway," Logan said, "Lead on."

An hour and a half later the couple found themselves waiting anxiously for Shira and Emily to arrive at the house. Nathan had been right, this house was perfect. It was a spacious two-story colonial right on the ocean. It was bright and airy with many windows. It had six bedrooms and three bathrooms and was in a private neighborhood. It was a new house having only been built five years before; it had all the modern conveniences that the couple was looking and more. It still felt sophisticated despite it's charm and warm homey atmosphere. As they wandered from room to room together they could see themselves living here and maybe someday even raising a family here. It was all they had hoped for; now hopefully they could convince Shira and Emily that it was perfect too.

When Shira and Emily arrived it was obvious that they did not see the same potential in the house that the couple it was intended for did. The two women walked around the house quietly muttering to each other about what they felt the house lacked. Finally the foursome sat down at the dining room table to discuss.

"We're getting the impression that you are not thrilled with this house," Logan stated.

"No," Emily said bluntly, "We're not."

"This is not the kind of house that is expected for a couple of your caliber," Shira said.

"Exactly," Emily said, "We picture you in something much more grand, like a mansion. This is just a big house on the ocean. It is not particularly stunning."

"But, we love it. We can see ourselves here," Rory protested, "We don't want to live in a mansion; that isn't us."

"There is no where in this house to throw a gala party," Shira pointed out.

"What's wrong with renting out a hotel ball room to throw a gala party in?" Logan asked, "Maybe Rory and I would prefer to have our home be private anyway. Our home will be somewhere that we can be comfortable in our time alone together. We also want it to be somewhere we can envision raising our family someday."

At the mention of Grandchildren both women paused, looking again around the house with new eyes. "This house would be magical to a child," Emily said.

"It is very comfortable and homey," Shira said, "I suppose that you could always throw parties in our homes."

"So…." Rory prompted.

"If you two are sure this is the perfect house…" Emily began.

"It is," Rory said interrupting her Grandmother.

"It really is, Emily," Logan added.

"Then we are all in agreement," Emily said, "Nathan, we would like to place an offer."

Before they knew it the deal was done. The owners had accepted the generous offer on the spot. Emily had offered the owners an extra $750,000 to the asking price of two and a quarter million dollars if they could close on the house and be out within two weeks.

"Looks like we need to start packing," Logan said.

"Looks like we're moving sooner than we thought," Rory said as she admired in awe the house that would soon be theirs.

After Emily, Shira and Nathan had departed the couple sat in their car beside the house and admired it one last time before heading back to the apartment.

"I can't believe we're going to live here," Rory said.

"It's perfect," Logan said.

"Completely," Rory agreed as she leaned in to kiss him.

**Author's Note:** This wasn't a terribly exciting chapter…sorry about that. With the wedding drawing closer the next few chapters will be more interesting again. I do feel this chapter was necessary though because I wanted to explain the house. I will try to post a link to the picture of the house that I based the house on in my profile. I have recently had several people requesting more drama. Please offer suggestions if you are looking for more drama because besides bringing Dean back in I'm not coming up with much….Please review and leave your drama suggestions. Thanks!

Update: I tried to post the link…did not work. If you want to see it go to the ReMax Real Estate home page and search for house in the Branford, CT. If you can search by MLS ID# it is N243317. Sorry!


	24. Breaking Point

**Author's Note:** I wanted to clear one thing up before I got started…if you went and looked at the house on-line and noticed that it only have 4 bedrooms and not 6 like I listed in the story that is because I only based the house on that picture. I liked the outside look of the house and the amenities it had to offer, but I also thought it was too small. I liked that it was by the ocean, but in my head they also have a larger yard and while they are in a neighborhood they are not as close to the other houses as it shows that they are. Now that I've gotten that out of the way….

As Rory hurried across campus between classes she thanked her lucky stars when she spotted a coffee cart up ahead. She had a killer headache coming on and increasing her intake of caffeine might be the best solution. After paying for her coffee Rory rummaged in her purse with one hand for the bottle of Ibuprofen she had taken to keeping with her at all times. She swallowed two pills with her coffee before continuing onto her next class. Things had been hectic at best in the Huntzberger household since they found the house. They'd packed frantically to be ready to move. The closing and move had gone smoothly, but there were still boxes strewn everywhere and it was impossible to find anything. Logan's secretary hadn't gotten any better at her job and a replacement had to be found. Until the replacement was hired Logan's hours were longer than ever. The new secretary's name was Amber, and in the one brief meeting Rory had with her the way she looked at her husband made her nervous. Rory and her bridesmaids had been to the Gilmore Estate several times in the last couple weeks for dress fittings and the wedding was in just over a week. To top it all off Rory was in her senior year at Yale and her workload was enormous.

"Gilmore, slow down," A voice that could only be Paris barked from behind her.

"I'm going to be late for class if I slow down," Rory replied, but she did slow down slightly anyway.

"Your Grandmother left me a message saying that she needs me to come in for another dress fitting," Paris snarled, "How many freaking dress fittings are there going to be?"

"I don't know Paris," Rory said wearily, "But if it makes you feel any better I'm sick of them too. My Grandmother just wants everything to be perfect."

Halting suddenly and grabbing Rory's arm Paris carefully studied Rory and said, "Are you okay? You aren't looking so good."

"I just have a nasty headache coming on," Rory said, "It's an unavoidable side effect of my current lifestyle."

"What lifestyle might that be?" Paris asked.

"My 100 mile an hour, never any time for a break lifestyle," Rory explained, "Between the move and the wedding and school and everything else I am just beat."

"Everything will slow back down once the wedding is over," Paris said, "Just imagine how much worse it would be if you were planning this wedding instead of your Grandmother."

"I can't even imagine," Rory said, "I'll have to remember to thank her again for doing all the planning for me."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Paris asked, "I don't want you to crash."

"Not that I can think of," Rory said, "Not unless you have the power to grant me more hours in a day. My biggest hurdle right now is that we've been living in our house for almost two weeks and nothing is put away. Between my school work and Logan's work schedule there is no time to unpack and it's starting to make me crazy."

"Leave it to me," Paris said.

"No Paris, I'll figure it out," Rory said.

"Rory, I insist," Paris said seriously, "Let me help. I will contact you with the details."

"Fine," Rory said, not feeling strong enough to resist.

They separated, each heading toward their next class. As Rory pushed open the door to the building of her next class she did not notice the dark haired young man watching her. After class, her last of the day, the dark haired man was still waiting for her to reappear. Still not taking notice of him Rory pulled her cell phone from her purse as she walked toward the parking lot. After trying Logan's cell and direct office line Rory tried his secretary's line.

"Logan Huntzberger's office, this is Amber," a voice answered.

"Hi Amber, this is Rory. Is Logan available?" Rory asked.

"I'm sorry who is this?" Amber asked.

"This is Rory Huntzberger, Logan's wife. Is he there?" Rory asked in annoyance. She'd had to remind Amber who she was every single time she'd called so far.

"Oh right, Rory. Logan is in a meeting right now, can I take a message?" Amber asked.

"Just let him know that I'm trying to reach him and ask him to call me back," Rory said.

"Okay, does he have your number?" Amber asked stupidly.

"Yes," Rory said, biting back a less civil answer.

"Okay then, bye-bye," Amber said.

Rory closed her phone cutting off the call and muttered furiously, "Of course he has my number you twit, I'm his wife."

As Rory drove home she was too tired and distracted by her phone conversation with Amber to notice the dark haired man in a tan car following her closely. When she reached the house she parked in the garage and went into the house. Kicking off her shoes and leaving them in the entryway she went into the kitchen and started the coffee pot. The dark haired man had parked just down the street and was watching her in her kitchen. She was still a coffee addict. She'd been his once, just as she'd once been Dean's. Like Dean, he'd struggled to move on. Rory Gilmore was a hard girl to get over. He wasn't like Dean though. He'd heard from his uncle Luke that Dean had wound up in jail for stalking Rory and her new husband. He didn't want to hurt her or scare her or stalk her; he just wanted to talk to her. He had thought he'd talk to her outside her class, but he hadn't. Then he thought maybe he'd follow her home and talk to her there, but he wasn't going to do that either. He needed a plan. To move on with his life he needed to talk to her and to ask her why in the end she'd chosen him. He had seen her twice since he'd left her all those years ago and both times he'd made it clear that he still wanted her back. So why had she chosen the way she had. The dark haired man started his car and drove away, already thinking about when the best time to talk to her might be.

Rory waited for the coffee pot to stop brewing before pouring herself a cup and settling into an armchair in the living. Looking around the room, cluttered with boxes she sighed and dialed her Mother's number.

"Hey kid, what's up?" Lorelai answered.

"I'm so tired," Rory replied.

"So go to bed," Lorelai said logically.

"I can't I have homework. And even if I didn't have homework I have a million boxes to unpack," Rory whined.

"Ah, the boxes. Don't touch the boxes. Paris called earlier and we are planning a little unpacking party," Lorelai said.

"A what?" Rory asked.

"Paris and I and all the rest of your bridesmaids are going to come over tomorrow night and help you unpack. We're making kind of a party of it. We'll get to finally see the house in person and we'll order food. It'll be fun," Lorelai said.

"If you say so," Rory said.

"Aren't you excited?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, it'll be fun," Rory sighed, "I just feel like I should be able to get all of this done without recruiting my friends to help."

"First of all, you have a ton going on right now, so don't feel guilty and secondly, Paris and I recruited your friends, not you," Lorelai explained.

"Okay," Rory said, "Anyway, I was calling to remind you and Dad that Grandma would like to two of you to come early to the rehearsal dinner on Friday to greet the guests."

"Would you mind terribly calling your father yourself?" Lorelai asked quietly.

"Why would I do that when the two of you are attached at the hip, or it is the lip, these days?" Rory asked, "Unless the two of you aren't seeing each other anymore."

"We aren't seeing each other anymore," Lorelai confirmed.

"What happened?" Rory asked, surprised.

"A couple of things really," Lorelai said, "Sherri came back to the States and indicated that she wanted to be back in Chris and GiGi's lives. And no matter how much your father and I will always love each other we realized that we are not meant to be with each other."

"So, he's back in Boston?" Rory asked.

"Yep," Lorelai said sadly.

"You sound sad," Rory said.

"Well, I am. Your father and I had a lot of fun together. It was hard for both of us to admit that we just aren't meant to be," Lorelai confessed.

"I'm sorry Mom," Rory said, her heart breaking a little for her Mom.

"Thanks, Rory," Lorelai said.

The two talked until Rory heard the door from the garage open and Logan drop his briefcase on the tile floor in the entry way. Hanging up with her mother she rose from her chair and found Logan in the kitchen pouring himself some coffee.

"You never called me back," Rory said in way of a greeting.

"You didn't leave me a message," Logan replied as he leaned into kiss her on the cheek.

"Yes I did, with Amber," Rory said starting to get upset.

"Are you sure?" Logan asked, "I asked her before I left if I had any messages and she said no."

"If you ask me, Amber is even more stupid than the troll," Rory said angrily, "At least the troll knew how to relay messages."

"Brenda, her name was Brenda," Logan said.

"Yeah, whatever," Rory said, "In the future I guess I'll leave any messages on your cell. I thought a message left with Amber would get to your faster, but obviously I was wrong."

"I will have a chat with her," Logan said.

"Well, be sure to speak slowly," Rory suggested, "Every time I speak to her she is confused about who I am. She doesn't seem to grasp that you even have a wife, never mind that she's actually met me face to face."

"I'm sorry, Rory," Logan said pulling her into his arms.

Staring to cry Rory said, "I'm not mad at you."

"Really?" Logan chuckled softly, "You could have fooled me."

"I'm just worn out. Between school and the wedding and this mess," Rory said gesturing to the boxes surrounding them, "I'm feeling ready to crack."

"I know," Logan whispered as he continued to hold her in his arms.

"Your secretary is still an idiot," Rory said accusingly.

"I know," Logan laughed, "She hasn't figured out who my father is either or how important his calls are. If she doesn't figure things out pretty soon I don't know who will kill her first, you or my father."

"I vote for me," Rory said with a hint of venom in her voice.

"Should we work on some boxes?" Logan asked, effectively changing the subject.

"No," Rory said, "Apparently there is an unpacking party being held in my honor tomorrow night."

"A what?" Logan asked.

"Paris and my Mom arranged for all my bridesmaids to come over tomorrow night and help me unpack," Rory said.

"Sounds fun," Logan said, "Maybe I should try to arrange a poker night or something with the guys so I'm out of the way?"

"That would be fine," Rory said.

The couple ate left over take out and went to bed. The next day Logan went to work as usual and Rory drove to Yale for one class and to turn in her article for the newspaper. When she returned home early in the afternoon she ate a late lunch and studied until her bridesmaids started arriving.

"This house is amazing, Rory," Lane exclaimed.

"I'm surprised that Mom agreed to this one, it only has 6 bedrooms, how ever will you live?" Honor joked.

"Someday when Colin and I get married I want a house like this," Steph said, "Except much larger."

"I am so jealous that you live on the ocean," Lorelai said as she gazed out the large windows toward the Atlantic.

"It is a pit in here, Gilmore," Paris said.

"I told you I haven't had time to unpack," Rory said.

"I know, but I thought you were exaggerating," Paris said.

"Looks like we should get to work then," Lorelai suggested.

With six women working on the task of unpacking boxes the task took only a couple hours to accomplish. With everything unpacked they were free to relax. Lorelai ordered massive quantities of pizza and Chinese food as Paris set up coolers with beverages on the large deck overlooking the ocean. Sitting at the patio table, listening to the roar of the ocean, eating and talking with her friends Rory felt the tension and stress of the last several weeks starting to melt away.

"Are you nervous about the wedding?" Honor asked.

"You know, I didn't think I would be since Logan and I are already married, but I am," Rory said, "I think at this point it is more nerves about standing up in front of everyone and remembering our vows."

"Are you going on another honeymoon?" Lane asked.

"We are going to get away for a long weekend directly following the wedding, but I think we are only going to Martha's Vineyard. We'll have a real, second honeymoon over my Winter Break from school," Rory said.

"Do you know where you're going?" Paris asked.

"Logan's planning the whole thing and it's a big secret, so I have no idea," Rory said excitedly.

"Lane, when are you and Zach headed to Aruba?" Lorelai asked.

"We're leaving Sunday after Rory and Logan's wedding and we are so excited," Lane said, "Zach's been researching Aruba and checking into the reservations you made us and it all sounds totally amazing."

"It will be," Rory said, "We loved Aruba."

"Did you get your wedding photos or videos yet?" Steph asked, "I'm dying to see the real wedding."

"The video arrived yesterday," Rory said, "We can watch it if you all would like to."

Rory was practically dragged back into the house. She quickly found the video and popped it into the VCR. The videographer had done an amazing job capturing the wedding. The ceremony was beautiful and Rory cried as she watched it. The candid moments he'd filmed were moving and heartfelt and by the end of the video everyone was wiping away tears. Rory explained to them how the impromptu wedding had come about and how it was in the church where Maria was married in the sound of music. "It was the most romantic thing Logan has ever done," Rory said.

"Sounds like no matter how spectacular this next wedding is it will never compare to the Austrian one," Honor said a little sadly.

"Honestly, no, it won't. But we are both just as excited for it. It will be wonderful to share a wedding with our friends and family; that was the one thing we truly regretted about the Austrian wedding," Rory said.

The women talked until the wee hours of the morning and when Logan stumbled in after a long night of poker with the guys he found them all sleeping, sprawled on the living room furniture. Gently he roused her wife and together they went to their room.

"The place looks great. I can't believe you got through all the boxes," Logan said.

"With six women on a mission, it didn't take too long," Rory said.

"Good. One less thing for you to worry about. After the wedding next weekend all you'll have to worry about is school," Logan said.

"That sounds nice," Rory said as they climbed into bed.

Little did she know that miles and miles away a dark haired man was plotting his move to talk with her, bringing more worry and stress back into her life.

**Author's Note:** So, incase you didn't figure out who the dark haired man is…yes, Jess is back. I have a pretty good idea of where his arc is going but if anyone has suggestions, I'm always open to them. This ended up feeling like another filler chapter, but I was building in a couple plot points that would lead to more drama down the road. The next couple chapters will deal with the wedding….after that this story might draw to a close until I move onto the sequel. Please review and let me know if you have ideas for me.

Thank you to those of you who made suggestion for adding drama….Jess had been on my mind too but I wasn't sure I wanted to bring another old boyfriend back into the picture….enough of you mentioned him though, so he's back.


	25. Rehearsal Dinner

Outside her Grandparent's country club Rory was waiting anxiously for Logan to arrive. This evening was the rehearsal dinner for their wedding, tomorrow. The guests would start arriving any time now and Logan still hadn't arrived. Rory had asked him to just stay home today, but he'd insisted that he needed to get a few things done at the office before they took their long weekend away at Martha's Vineyard.

Finally seeing the Porsche pull onto the country club property Rory let out a sigh of relief and mumbled, "It's probably Amber's fault that he's running late."

"Got here as fast as I could," Logan said as he handed his keys to the valet, "I'd asked Amber to get me out of my meeting at precisely 4:30 but she didn't remember to come get me until 4:45."

"Why does she still work for you?" Rory grumbled, "She does nothing but cause problems."

"She's getting better," Logan defended, "She came to us from another publishing firm, which gave her glowing recommendations. She's probably just still adjusting to her new environment."

"I still don't like her," Rory stated.

"Obviously," Logan said, "But let's not fight about her today. Just forget about Amber and let's enjoy this party and our wedding tomorrow."

"Fine," Rory grumbled as she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Logan held out his hand to Rory which she grudgingly accepted. He pressed a kiss to her temple and she felt her annoyance starting to slip away. No sooner had the couple entered the grand ball room where the wedding and rehearsal were to take place than Emily and Shira pounced on them.

"You two were supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago," Emily said shrilly.

"Don't you realize that we have a schedule to keep?" Shira added.

"Mom, Emily," Logan said, "It's my fault; I didn't get out of my meeting at work quickly enough. I'm sorry."

"Fine," Shira said, "We need the two of you stationed right over here to greet your guests as they arrive." Rather roughly she ushered them to their place before hurrying off to tend to something else.

Slowly the guests began to trickle in. Rory's mood began to rise as they greeted friends and family who were a part of the rehearsal tonight. It was going to be a fun evening and she was beginning to look forward to it. During a break in the stream of people Rory smoothed her skirt and took a quick drink of the punch Emily had brought over for them. Setting her punch back down she glanced toward the door and saw that her father-in-law had arrived and he was not alone. On his arm was none other than Amber, her husband's personal secretary. As Mitchum and Amber made their way toward them Logan whispered into her ear, "I have no idea why she's here, I didn't invite her, I swear."

"Logan," Mitchum boomed, "Shame on you for not inviting your own secretary to your wedding. I took it upon myself to invite Amber."

"Amber, glad you could make it," Logan said stiffly as he offered her his hand.

She took his hand and with it pulled him close enough to kiss him quickly on the cheek, "Congratulations Logan."

Leaving Logan flustered Amber turned to Rory, offered her hand and said, "Congratulations to you too, Lori."

"Thank you, but its Rory," Rory said in a sweet tone that masked the fury swirling inside her.

"Okay, Rory," Amber said slowly as if she was carefully committing the name to memory. But the twinkle in her eye told Rory that Amber knew exactly what her name was and that she was just messing with her.

Shortly after Mitchum and Amber had shown up the last few guests arrived and dinner was served. Logan and Rory were seated at a large circular table with their wedding party, who were in high spirits. Rory tried to force herself to put Amber out of her mind and enjoy the party; but it wasn't working. Eventually her friends noticed that Rory was not herself and devised a plan to whisk her away before the actual rehearsal started to find out what was going on. As the dessert dishes were cleared away Paris approached Emily and asked if there was somewhere the bride and bridesmaids could go and change into the shoes they'd be wearing tomorrow to rehearse in. Thinking this was a splendid idea Emily led the five women to the very closet that Logan and Rory had made out in at Emily and Richard's vow renewal ceremony several years before.

"What's with you today, Gilmore," Paris demanded.

"God Paris, could you be any harsher?" Steph said, "Rory, what's wrong. You're supposed to be happy today and you're acting like you just lost your best friend."

"More like my husband," Rory muttered.

"What?" Steph asked, "Are the two of you fighting or something?"

"Not really," Rory said, "Mitchum showed up with Logan's personal secretary Amber, who I hate. It has been obvious to me since the day I met her that she would like nothing better than to get Logan into bed; but he can't see it."

"Why do you think that?" Paris asked, "Not that I'm doubting you, a woman can usually tell."

"Just the way she looks at him and touches him. She kissed him when she said hello to us at the door today. And she treats me like I'm persona non grata. She can't seem to remember what my name is let alone that Logan has a wife. If I leave a message with her for him it never reaches him and today she was supposed to get him out of his meeting at 4:30. She purposely waited until 4:45, so he got here late," Rory explained.

"Will it help if we try to run interference?" Honor asked, "Maybe Finn could try distract her?"

"It's worth a shot," Lane agreed.

The girls put on their shoes and freshened their lipstick before returning to the ball room. Quickly Emily and Shira organized everyone to run through the wedding procession a couple times so that things would run seamlessly tomorrow. One practice probably would have been plenty except Emily was not convinced that Finn understood what he should and shouldn't be doing. All through the first practice run he'd made horrible faces making the rest of the wedding party giggle uncontrollably despite Emily's protests and demands that they cease immediately. Satisfied after the second run through, she dismissed the wedding party until tomorrow. As everyone swarmed towards the door she barked out some instructions about tomorrow and reminded everyone to be on time.

Logan and his groomsmen were going to stay at the Branford house while Rory and her bridesmaids were going to stay in Stars Hollow with Lorelai. They would all be leaving shortly, but before they did Logan sought out his bride. He knocked carefully on the door to the closet where the girls had left their things and were changing back out of their wedding shoes, before entering.

"Is my wife in here anywhere?" Logan asked.

"Over here," Rory said from where she was seated on the floor.

"Can I ask the rest of you to clear out so I can have a moment alone with my bride?" Logan asked.

Quickly the girls left the couple alone, closing the door behind them. "I'm going to miss you tonight," Logan said softly; fully aware that he was still on thin ice due to the Amber situation, "I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep without you there beside me."

"I'll miss you too," Rory said simply.

"I'm so sorry that she had to be here tonight. I know that was hard for you," Logan said, "I'm getting the impression that you think she's after me."

"She is after you," Rory said, "I don't know why you can't see it."

"Maybe I can't see it because I don't care. Besides her being my secretary she is not even on my radar," Logan said, "You are my wife and I love you; only you."

"Just be careful, she makes me very nervous," Rory said.

"Let's not talk about her anymore," Logan said. Trying to bring the conversation back to where he'd intended it to go in the first place he said again, "I'm going to miss you tonight."

"Me too," Rory said as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and raised her lips to meet his.

Smirking in satisfaction he lowered his lips the remaining distance to hers. It occurred to him that he had a bit of déjà vu going on before he realized that this was the same closet they'd made out in before. "Hold that thought," Logan said suddenly as he broke their kiss and hurried to the door. Locking it he turned back toward her with a sly smile and said, "I believe we were interrupted the last time we spent time in here." Resuming their kiss he ran his hands over her body and moved to unzip her dress.

"We can't," Rory said as she pulled away.

"Why not," Logan groaned.

"We're in a closet for one thing," Rory said.

"Would that have stopped you last time?" Logan asked.

"That is beside the point. Secondly, we have our bridesmaids and groomsmen waiting for us. In fact they probably have their ears pressed to the door," Rory said.

"We could be quiet," Logan said as he nipped her neck with his teeth.

Fighting her urges Rory said, "No, but I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow night."

"You'd better," Logan said.

Rory pecked him on the mouth before moving to the door. Grabbing her by the hand Logan quickly pulled her back to him and said, "Give me a minute. It would be indecent of me to leave this room in this condition."

Rory giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck again. "Not helping," Logan said sternly.

"Just hold me," Rory said softly. Logan complied before she continued, whispering into his ear, "I love you."

"I love you too," Logan replied.

When they emerged from the closet eight annoyed groomsmen and bridesmaids and her mother were waiting for them. "About time," Colin said, "What the hell were you doing in there?"

"What do you bloody think they were doing in there, mate?" Finn asked.

"That's not what we were doing in there," Logan said, "I love that you think that's what we were doing in there. Lord knows that what I'd like to have been doing in there."

"We were just saying our good-byes," Rory said, "This is our first night apart since before we got married."

"How sweet," Lorelai said, "Now move, into the car." Logan and Rory waved good-bye to one another as they were dragged away by their friends.

Back in Stars Hollow Lorelai had planned a movie night like no other movie night before it. She had wanted to throw her daughter a bachelorette party, but Rory had declined. She didn't feel it was appropriate anymore since she'd already been married for a month and a half. Luke had helped her set up a large movie screen and a hi-tech projector that hooked up to their DVD player in the living room. In addition to the flood of junk food that usually accompanied movie night Sookie had baked a mini wedding cake for the occasion. Everyone changed into pajamas and settled themselves on the floor in front of the screen. "In honor of the bride, Rory, this is a special movie night which features all wedding or bride related movies. We have; Sweet Home Alabama, Father of the Bride, Runaway Bride, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Wedding Singer and The Princess Bride. Rory gets first pick."

"And I choose, Sweet Home Alabama," Rory announced.

They made it through Sweet Home Alabama, Runaway Bride and The Wedding Singer before everyone except Rory was sound asleep on the floor in front of the movie screen. Rory covered them carefully with blankets before slipping into a bathrobe her father had left behind and quietly settling herself on the porch swing outside. Looking up at the starry sky she sighed in quiet contentment. She couldn't believe that she was getting married tomorrow, again. But this time everyone would be there.

"Rory," a voice urgently whispered. Thinking someone in the house had woken up and found her missing she turned toward the front door.

"No, over here," the voice whispered.

Rory turned slightly and almost screamed when she saw the dark figure standing on the steps not more than three yards from her. "Who's there," Rory asked in a frightened whisper.

"It's me, Jess," he said, "Can I talk to you?"

"What are you doing here?" Rory asked warily.

"I just wanted to talk to you," Jess said, "Can I come sit by you?"

"Sure," Rory said, still nervous about his sudden appearance.

Carefully he lowered himself onto the swing next to her and said, "So, you're getting married tomorrow."

"Well, technically I'm already married," Rory said showing him her ring.

"I know, I read the newspaper," Jess said.

"So, what are you doing here?" Rory asked again.

"I wanted to talk to you and make sure that you're happy," Jess said.

"Why?" Rory asked.

"You deserve to be happy, you deserve the best," Jess said, "I want to feel sure that you didn't settle, so I can move on."

"What do you mean move on?" Rory asked.

"Don't you know that I'm still in love with you? Don't you know that I've always hoped that one day we would find our way back to one another?" Jess asked.

"No," Rory said quietly.

"I came to see you twice and then you came to see me at our open house at the store," Jess said, "Each time I hoped that this was the time that we'd get back together."

"I know," Rory said, "But as much as I think even now that we could have had something really special it was over for good the minute you left me without saying good-bye."

"But why?" Jess asked.

"How could I ever be sure that you wouldn't just up and leave me again the next time things got tough?" Rory said.

"But you went back to Logan after her cheated on you?" Jess asked.

"That's none of your business," Rory said.

"You're right but can you explain it to me anyway? I need to understand why you and I can never be so that I can move on with my own life. I need to let you go and I'm not able to do that yet," Jess said.

"I love Logan," Rory said, "It's as simple as that."

"It can't be that simple," Jess said.

"But it is. I love him and I forgave him," Rory said.

"So why not forgive me for running away?" Jess asked.

"I did forgive you for running away, I just couldn't trust that you wouldn't do it again," Rory explained.

"But you can trust that Logan won't cheat on you again?" Jess asked in disbelief.

"Logan thought that we were broken up at the time when he cheated on me," Rory said, "The difference is that he realized that he screwed up and he fought to get me back. I know he won't do it again. Not, while he is still in love with me."

"I knew I screwed up when I ran away," Jess said.

"Okay, but it took you years to apologize for it. If you would have actually talked to me one of those times you called me from California and said, listen I screwed up but I want to work things out, things might be entirely different today," Rory said.

Jess just sat quietly and thought. She was right of course. He hadn't fought for her; he'd just let what they'd had slip away. Had he known then what he knew now he would have done a lot of things differently. It was time to let go. He knew it would still take some time to get over her; but at least now he fully understand why she was no longer his and never would be. Knowing that she was truly happy and in love and completely unavailable forever would make it possible for him to finally let go. "You're happy though?" he asked suddenly.

"Extremely," Rory said.

"Good," Jess said, "Congratulations." With that said he rose from the swing, and without a backward glance, walked away.

Rory exhaled a sigh of relief when he departed. When she first saw him on the steps she was scared that she was going to have another situation like the one she'd lived through with Dean on her hands. If she could give Jess the closure he needed to move on she was glad.

Now to get to bed, she needed to be at a hair appointment in less than six hours. Rory crept back into the house and noticed her Mom sitting on the stairs. "Everything okay?" Lorelai asked.

"Just giving some closure," Rory reassured her Mom, "I'm going to bed. I'm getting married tomorrow."

Lorelai smiled at her daughter and kissed her on the forehead before they each headed to their own rooms.

**Author's Note:** So, that is it for Jess. I felt like he would still really care for her and ultimately want what would make her happiest. I hope this scene comes off as more bittersweet than anything. There may be more Amber drama in store at the wedding in the next chapter. We'll have to see when we get there. Thanks to MrsCzuchry (love your screen name, BTW) for a background for Amber. I was headed in a similar direction but when I read your review I decided to use your ideas! Fantastic! Please review, I love to know how I'm doing.


	26. Wedding Number Two

Early the next morning Lorelai crept into her daughter's room to wake her for the big day, "Mrs. Huntzberger," Lorelai called in a sing-song voice, "You're getting married today, time to wake up."

Rory sat up in bed without the usual protests that emanated from her most mornings. Lorelai handed her a cup of coffee before seating herself on the end of Rory's bed. "Don't get mad at me, but I just need to ask. What did you and Jess talk about last night?"

"He needed closure," Rory stated simply.

"You told me that last night. I want specifics," Lorelai insisted.

"Why do you need to know?" Rory asked sounding slightly annoyed.

"For one thing I want to be sure that he's not going to try crash the wedding today," Lorelai said, "Or start stalking you. I want to know that you aren't thinking about going back to him,"

"How could you even think that I'd go back to him?" Rory asked angrily, "I'm married to Logan and who I'm deeply in love with. Besides, Jess broke my heart. It was over the moment he left."

"I know that Hon, but it took you a long time to get over him," Lorelai said, "Maybe you still have feelings somewhere in there for him."

"My heart will always hold a soft spot for Jess Mariano but my heart in its entirety belongs to Logan. What Jess and I had compares in no way with what Logan and I have," Rory said.

"Are you going to give me details or not?" Lorelai asked.

"No, it was a private conversation. The only thing you need to know is that I love Logan and we were meant to be. Had Jess not left and broken my heart we might have stayed together for a little while but in the end it still wouldn't have lasted because I was never meant to be with him," Rory explained.

"Did Jess accept the fact that you're married and you'll NEVER be his again?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes, Jess is not going to become a problem. I'll be surprised if I ever even see him again," Rory said, "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure," Lorelai said already sure of what Rory was going to ask.

"Let's keep my meeting with Jess between the two of us," Rory said, "It would just upset Logan if he knew and there is nothing to get upset over."

"It goes against my better judgment to keep it between us, but sure, I guess I can do that," Lorelai agreed, "But I really think that you should think about telling him."

"We'll see," Rory said.

At the Branford house Logan was lying in bed awake, even though he didn't need to be up for another couple of hours and the antics of the night before had thoroughly exhausted him. He had been right, without Rory beside him he hadn't been able to sleep. He smiled to himself as he thought about what the day would bring. Rising from bed Logan pulled a Tiffany's box from his dresser drawer and a small card with it. Sitting back on the bed he stared out at the ocean as he thought about what he wanted to write.

It was going on noon and the girls were stowed away in a room at the country club. They had come from their ten o'clock hair and make-up appointments that Emily had scheduled for them at a nearby salon. Emily had arranged a light lunch for them in their room and then they were to dress for some pictures before the wedding. Rory's lunch was sitting untouched in front of her as she chewed on the end of her pen, trying to find the right words for the card she intended to give Logan with his wedding gift.

"Rory," Lane asked eying Rory's food hopefully, "Are you going to eat your lunch?"

"I am, I just got distracted," Rory said, "But you can have half my sandwich if the babies are still hungry."

"Thanks Rory!" Lane said as she ripped Rory's sandwich in half, taking the slightly larger half for herself.

After lunch Emily sent Holly in to help the girls dress for pictures. Holly helped Rory step into her dress behind the privacy screen; then arranged the veil and tiara around Rory's up-do. Rory stepped into her heels and finally stepped out from behind the screen, revealing her dress for the first time to her bridesmaids and mother.

Lorelai and Lane's eyes welled with tears, leaving them speechless. With misty eyes Honor took Rory's hand and said, "You look amazing."

"Seriously Gilmore," Steph said, "I've never seen a more perfect dress."

"Is your Grandmother available to help me dress shop for my wedding?" Paris asked.

"Paris, are you engaged?" Rory asked excitedly.

"No yet," Paris snapped, "But I've been dropping hints like crazy. If Doyle doesn't catch on pretty soon I might have to propose to him instead."

Just as the finishing touches were being applied to their make-up and hair before pictures someone knocked at the door. "If that's Grandma," Rory said, "Tell her we're almost ready."

"It's not your Grandmother," Steph said, "Haven't you noticed that she stopped knocking hours ago and just started barging in?"

Lorelai answered the door finding Finn on the other side holding a blue box and a card. "You look fetching, Love," Finn told Lorelai in way of a greeting, "Logan sent something over for Rory, can you give this to her?"

"Um, Thanks Finn," Lorelai said as she accepted the gift.

"Wait Finn," Rory said as she hurried to the door, "Can you bring something back to Logan?"

"Anything for you, Doll," Finn said as he accepted a matching blue box and card from Rory, "You look breathtaking, Love," he added with a wink before turning and heading to the room where Emily had the men waiting.

When Finn had left Rory took the gift from her Mother. Rory opened the card and smiled at his words. "Read it out loud!" Steph insisted.

Rory grinned and read:

_Dear Ace, _

_I can't believe we're getting married, again. I'll see you down front. Don't forget to smile. Here's a little something for you to wear today._

_Love Always, Logan_

Opening the box Rory was stunned to find the Tiffany Bubbles necklace that Logan had caught her admiring on-line recently. It was a platinum necklace accented with round brilliant diamonds. She'd actually been on-line shopping for his wedding gift when he walked into the room and she quickly clicked back to hide his gift. He'd teased her over her expensive taste in jewelry; the necklace costing $28,000. She'd told him it would look amazing with her wedding dress; but she'd never dreamed he'd buy it for her. Rory removed the necklace that her Grandmother had found to match her tiara and asked her mother to fasten the Bubble necklace around her neck.

Across the hall Finn returned to the room where the guys were changing before the wedding. Finn handed Logan the blue box and card to which Logan said, "I thought I told you to give this to Rory."

"That's not the same box, mate," Finn said, "I gave her the box and she gave me this box to give to you."

Logan opened the note and read to himself:

_Dear Logan,_

_It's finally here, our regularly scheduled wedding day. I love being married to you and I'm excited to be reciting vows to you all over again. Keep this on Rory time._

_Love, Rory_

_P.S. This is only part of your gift. The other part was too large to bring with me._

Opening the box Logan pulled out a stunning watch that he'd caught Rory ordering on-line weeks before. She thought she'd hidden it from him; but she hadn't been fast enough. She had wonderful taste though; it was the same watch he would have chosen for himself. It was a Tiffany Mark T-57 quartz resonator. It was stainless steel and had six jewels in the face. Turning it over in his hands he noticed that it had engraving on the back side: _To Logan, My Husband. I Love You. Always, Ace. _Grinning Logan fastened it around his wrist.

The last couple of hours before the ceremony flew by. The girls and then the guys had pictures with the photographer. Much to Logan and Rory's dismay Emily had insisted that the couple be kept apart until the ceremony. Not wanting to disobey Emily the rest of the wedding party carefully took their duty to heart. In her room with the bridesmaids Rory began to grow nervous when she could hear the guests arriving and being seated in the ball room. Trying to calm her nerves Rory silently ran through her vows again.

Across the hall Logan could also hear the guests arriving but rather than making him nervous he only grew more energized. He was ready for this wedding. He was ready for their big public wedding that would seal in everyone's eyes the validity of his and Rory's marriage. While the Austrian wedding was legal and binding people seemed to think otherwise. It was the only way he could think to explain Amber and Dean's persistence, despite the fact that he and Rory were legally married. Finally Emily opened the door and announced, "It's time."

Rory was left in the room alone with her parents; the girls were lined up in the hall. Rory had decided last minute that she wanted both of her parents to escort her down the aisle. Her Father deserved the honor as her father but her Mother deserved it too, for raising her alone all those years.

"It's odd," Chris suddenly said, "Even though I was at the real wedding, I still can't believe that you're getting married."

Lorelai and Rory chuckled a little at his remark before growing silent again. It was a little awkward having both her parents in this small room with her, considering their break-up the week before. Rory secretly hoped that Luke was in attendance today and that he and her mother would reconcile. She believed that they, like herself and Logan, were truly meant to be.

When the music changed the three of them emerged from the room and stood at the end of the aisle. Rory took in the magically elegant atmosphere her Grandmother had created as she linked arms with her Father on one side and her Mother on the other. Raising her eyes they started down the aisle and her sapphire eyes met with Logan's caramel ones. Blinking back tears Rory remembered to smile when she saw the huge grin on Logan's face. When they reached the alter Lorelai kissed and hugged first Rory, then Logan and took her seat in the front pew. Chris hugged and kissed his daughter then turned and heartily shook Logan's hand before taking his seat beside Lorelai. Logan took Rory's hand and together they approached the alter.

"We are gathered here today to join in holy matrimony these two young people standing before me," The minister began, "Although I understand that they have already been legally married for nearly two months. The ceremony will remain the same but perhaps they can think of this as a sort of vow renewal."

Logan and Rory, as well as Emily behind them in the front pew nodded their assent and the ceremony continued. The minister read some text that related to marriage before announcing that the couple had chosen to write their own vows. Logan was to go first.

"Rory, while it is probably highly unusual for a couple to get engaged, then elope, and still hold a big fancy wedding ceremony I am so proud to marry you again in front of our friends and family. The last month and a half that I have spent as your husband have been the best of my life. I love being married to you and I sincerely hope that you love being married to me even half as much. I'm amazed at all the things you continue to teach me. Most importantly how trust, honesty and commitment play into a marriage. Thank you again for agreeing to become my wife; I am still convinced that I'm getting the better end of the deal. I love you," Logan said, all while gazing into her eyes and still holding her hands.

Rory dabbed at the tears in her eyes with a handkerchief before beginning her vows, "Logan, my husband, our wedding in Austria was just the beginning of our journey through life together. I look at the ceremony today as our way of confirming for everyone that we are truly meant for one another. No matter where life takes us I will always be at your side. You have been a wonderful husband and I know that you will continue to be, as our relationship grows and changes and as we learn new things from one another. I love you too."

The minister had moved off to the side while the couple recited their vows to one another, now he resumed his position and said, "Logan Elias Huntzberger, does thou take Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, here present to be thy lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," Logan said proudly.

"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, does thou take Logan Elias Huntzberger, here present to be they lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Rory replied happily.

"Do you have rings?" The minister asked.

The couple held up their left hands displaying the wedding bands they had exchanged previously in Austria. The minister looked flustered for a minute before Logan said, "But I have another one for today."

And Rory said, "Me too."

"Very well then," the minister said. "Logan placed the ring on her finger and repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."

From his pocket Logan pulled the platinum and diamond Tiffany Bubbles ring that matched the necklace he'd given her this morning. Placing it on the ring finger of her right hand he gently slid it on and said, "With this ring, I thee wed."

"Lorelai, your turn. Place the ring on his finger and repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."

Rory turned to Lane, her maid of honor, who handed her the two-tone, platinum and gold wedding band Rory had engraved for him. Placing it also on the ring finger of his right hand she gently slid it on and said, "With this ring, I thee wed."

"I am going to skip over the part where I ask if anyone objects. This couple was already married; it is a little late for anyone to object. So, by the powers vested in me I pronounce you husband and wife. Young man, you may kiss your bride," The minister said.

With a signature smirk on his face Logan pulled his wife to him, slightly dipping her back he kissed her passionately. Breaking off the kiss before it became too risqué and embarrassed Emily, Logan pulled Rory into his arms and hugged her.

Rory accepted her bouquet of calla lilies and roses back from Lane and the couple turned to face their audience. Behind them the minister said, "I pronounce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Logan Huntzberger." The audience applauded them as the music began and the couple started back up the aisle.

When they were back in the hallway beside the rooms they'd been hidden away in earlier in the day Logan yanked Rory into one of the rooms and locked the door. Pulling her to him he took her bouquet and tossed it onto a chair and kissed her. The couple kissed until the need for oxygen was too great and they broke apart, smiling.

"I need to tell you something," Rory said slightly out of breath.

"Okay," Logan said apprehensively, "Do I want to hear this?"

"Probably not, but after you brought up trust and honesty in your vow I can't not tell you," Rory explained, "I was just going to keep in a secret, but I don't feel right doing that."

"Okay," Logan said again, his jaw clenched.

"Last night after everyone went to bed I couldn't sleep so I went outside and sat on the porch swing. Jess showed up and wanted to talk," Rory confessed.

"Ex-boyfriend Jess?" Logan asked.

"Yes, ex-boyfriend Jess," Rory said, "Nothing happened, we just talked and he left and I don't think our paths will ever cross again."

"I appreciate you telling me," Logan said carefully.

"But you're upset," Rory pointed out.

"I'm a little annoyed by the whole thing," Logan said, "But I trust you. If you tell me that all you did was talk, I believe you."

"So, we're okay?" Rory asked.

"We're fine," Logan said, his voice becoming calm again, "It's not like you invited him over, right?"

"No, I didn't invite him over. But once he was there I didn't ask him to leave either. He came looking for closure. He knows what we're married and that I love you; he's not going to become a problem," Rory said.

Before they had a chance to discuss it any further Emily knocked loudly and hissed through the door, "You two need to get out here this instant and speak with your guests." After a final quick kiss the couple straightened up and returned to the ball room for the receiving line.

The evening flew by. After the receiving line dinner was served. Sookie had outdone herself. All the courses were divine and the towering white wedding cake had a chocolate-espresso crème filling between the layers, which thrilled Rory to no end. Before the dancing really kicked off toasts were made. Zack, who had been one of their ushers, helped his pregnant wife onto the stage for her toast as the maid of honor.

"Hi, I'm Lane," Lane began, "Rory and I have been best friends since we were five; so when I say that I know everything about her, I'm not kidding. Rory and I have been talking about our dream weddings since we were twelve and now she has had two dream weddings. Logan and Rory, you two are perfect together, warmest wishes and congratulations!"

Colin took the stage next as Logan's best man, "I'm Colin, one of Logan's best friends. He and I were thrown out of some of the best private schools in the county together; so Rory, if you ever need some embarrassing stories about your husband, I'm your man. This is one place I never expected to be, Logan Huntzberger's wedding. Logan has always been a playboy and as strange as it is to see him settling down, I can't say I blame him. Rory is a great girl and I've never seen Logan happier. Cheers!"

Toasts were also made by Finn, Steph, Honor and Paris. It appeared that the toasts were over when suddenly Lorelai hopped up onto the stage, "Most of you know me I am the black sheep of the Gimore clan, also the mother of the bride. I just want to wish my daughter and her new husband congratulations. Rory, you are the best kid a parent could ask for, you are also my best friend. While it is sad for me that your home is now beside your husband instead of wherever I am; I hope we can always be as close as we always have been. Before I sit back down I want to add; I am not quite ready to become a Grandma though."

The crowd laughed at her last remark and through the sea of people Logan and Rory could see Shira nodding her head in agreement. Logan and Rory decided to take the stage themselves and say a few words of thanks to their guests.

"Thank you everyone!" Logan said to the crowd, "We are so happy to have all of you here with us today. Everyone knows that we jumped the gun and got married officially earlier than anticipated; but today is special because we got to share our marriage with all of you."

"Thank you to my Grandmother, Emily Gilmore, who planned all of this on our behalf. It is beautiful Grandma. Now, if no one else has anything to say, I would love to dance with my husband," Rory said as she pulled Logan toward the dance floor.

The couple found their way to the middle of the floor and waited until their song began. The familiar tune began to play and to their surprise Emily had hired a singer to accompany the string quartet on this song. The couple wrapped themselves up together and swayed to the beautiful words floating through the air around them. Couples joined Logan and Rory on the floor and when the song ended they were reluctant to let go of one another.

Colin and Stephanie had been dancing nearby and when the song ended Colin asked, "Wasn't that a Barbara Streisand song?"

"It was," Rory said.

"Why would you two pick a Barbara Streisand song as your song?" Steph asked, "She's kind of lame."

"We didn't pick the song for the artist," Rory said, "Did you listen at all to the lyrics?"

"Yeah," Logan said defensively, "It's the sentiment."

"Whatever," Colin said as he and Steph walked away.

Another song started and the couple started to dance again. Rory pulled back slightly so she could look into Logan's face and said, "Did you notice the engraving on the inside of your ring?"

"No," Logan said as he pulled it off his finger to peer inside.

Inside the ring Rory had simply had the words 'Forever & Always,' engraved. She had meant the words as kind of a reply to the lyrics in their song, that they had just danced to. She intended to spend the rest of her life forever and always by his side. She wasn't entirely sure that he understood their meaning so she told him. "The meaning of these words is in response to the requests in our song, the song you sang to me in Venice."

Logan's eyes held the tiniest shimmer of moisture as he pulled her to his chest and whispered into her hair, "Thank you."

**Author's Note:** Wedding number two if officially over. I hope it lived up to expectation. I'm not entirely sure yet if the next chapter will deal a little bit more with the wedding or move onto the honeymoon. The next chapter may also be the last in this story. I'm not entirely sure at what point I should end this or at what point I should pick back up in for the sequel. As always, suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Please review—it totally makes my day to hear people's thoughts on my work! I decided to keep Amber out of this chapter…I didn't want her messing everything up—but I'm pretty sure she'll come back into play. Also, I will post links to all the jewelry in this chapter on my profile.


	27. Happily Ever After

Logan and Rory were sitting together in a semi-quiet corner of the ball room. It was nearing midnight and the party was still raging on around them. The couple would have left hours ago but Emily had continually insisted that they stay just a little bit longer. As much as they were ready to leave they didn't feel they could deny Emily; after all she had planned and paid for this entire wedding on their behalf.

"Would it be rude if we just snuck out the back?" Rory asked from where her head was resting on Logan's shoulder.

"Probably," Logan said wearily.

The couple sat quietly for a few minutes more before Rory quickly sat up and asked, "Is that my Mother dancing with Luke?"

Logan leaned forward slightly in his seat and said, "Looks like it."

"Okay, we can't leave until I've spoken to my Mother and found out what's going on," Rory said excitedly.

"I take it you are fine with your parents breaking up again," Logan said.

"I knew it was only a matter of time before they figured out that they really didn't belong together," Rory gushed, "But my Mom and Luke do belong together."

Logan smiled fondly at his wife, her enthusiasm really was adorable. Standing up Logan stretched his legs and said, "Ace, I'm going to go talk to Colin and Finn. When you're ready to go, let me know."

The couple kissed quickly before separating. Rory walked closer to the dance floor to get a better view of her Mother and Luke. At the moment neither was talking, just dancing and each looked peacefully happy over their current location. Nearby she spotted Babette, Patty and Sookie also gawking hopefully at the ex-couple. Rory gave them the thumbs up on her way to the bar to get herself a club soda. After just a couple sips Rory was approached by Mitchum.

"I was wondering if I might have this dance," He said to her awkwardly.

Equally as awkwardly Rory set down her drink and said, "Um, sure."

They found their way to the floor, where they stiffly and silently danced for a few minutes. Finally breaking the ice, Mitchum said, "I just want you to know that I have taken care of the Amber situation."

"What Amber situation?" Rory asked, unsure of what exactly Mitchum might think the situation was.

"I could see yesterday at the rehearsal dinner that it was a mistake for me to have invited her," Mitchum said, "It obviously made both you and Logan uncomfortable to have her there."

"She's been a bit of a sore spot between us lately," Rory confessed.

"Of course she would be. Anyone with eyes could see that she's after Logan," Mitchum said.

"Logan can't." Rory said distractedly, "Or at least he claims not to."

"I didn't see it either until last night. But when escorted her out to her car at the end of the night I told her that I was mistaken when I'd invited her to the wedding," Mitchum said.

"I can't believe you did that," Rory said, "Thank you!"

"I didn't want to be responsible for inviting the one person who wanted to ruin your wedding," Mitchum said, "I did a little digging this morning and found out that she was let go from her last publishing job with a large severance package and a glowing recommendation because she'd been caught sleeping with the boss and they were trying to keep it under wraps."

"So she was trying to get into Logan's pants too," Rory said angrily, "I knew it."

"He is the youngest and one of the richest CEOs in Hartford. He was also the most eligible until you two officially tied the knot," Mitchum said.

"I told Amber that she was fired," Mitchum said, "She didn't take it well. She told me that I could not fire based on her flirtations with my son."

"She even admitted out loud that she was flirting with a newly married man?" Rory said, shocked, "What a tramp."

Mitchum chuckled lightly at Rory's comment and said, "I told her no, I can't fire you because of your attraction to my son. But I can fire you for failing to pass on messages from his wife and getting him out of his meetings late purposely so he gets to his rehearsal dinner late."

"Was she mad?" Rory said, "Please tell me she was mad."

"She was mad!" Mitchum said laughing, "I gave her no severance since she's been with the company for less than a month. I told her not to bother asking us to be a reference because it would be far less than glowing. I also told her that she'd better think long and hard before she considered any kind of payback against you, Logan or myself, as I'm planning on slapping her with a restraining order first thing."

Rory smiled up at Mitchum and said, "I keep thinking that I must be dreaming. In a few short months we've gone from you disowning Logan because of me to you protecting our marriage against paparazzi and stalker secretaries."

Mitchum chuckled again and said, "I feel I owe it to the two of you. Shira, Elias and I were not welcoming to you as Logan's girlfriend and we were even less welcoming of you as Logan's fiancé. As his wife we can see how happy you make him and in the end that is really all that matters."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Rory said.

"Me too," Mitchum said.

"May I cut in?" Logan asked, suddenly appearing by their sides.

"Certainly," Mitchum said as he stepped back.

"What was that all about?" Logan as soon as his father was out of ear shot.

"Your father fired Amber!" Rory said, grinning.

"What?" Logan asked, "Did you ask him to do that?"

"No," Rory said firmly, "Your father asked me to dance and then told me that inviting her last night was a mistake; he hadn't known until last night that Amber was after you."

"Amber was not after me," Logan said stubbornly.

"Oh yes she was," Rory said, "She basically admitted as much to your father's face when he confronted her about it."

"So he fired her?" Logan asked.

"He fired her and has filed a restraining order against her," Rory said.

"Wow," Logan said, "My father the protector."

"I know, that's what I said," Rory said, "He stills feels bad about how I was treated by your family before."

"Good, he should," Logan said vehemently. They continued to dance, waiting until they were dismissed by Emily for the night. Rory kept a sharp eye on her Mother and Luke, who were still dancing together, harmoniously.

"Logan. Rory, I'm glad I found you," Emily said as she suddenly appeared beside them, "I thought of something we forgot to do earlier. If you are still ready to leave, we could do it right now."

"Absolutely," Logan said in relief.

"But I wanted to talk to my Mom," Rory said under her breath.

"Talk to her on the way out," Logan suggested.

"Okay," Rory agreed.

Emily led them back up to the stage where she announced to the remaining crowd that the bride and groom were preparing to leave, but first it was time to toss the bouquet and garter. Logan went first. All the single men gathered in front of the stage as Logan slowly removed the garter from Rory's upper thigh, causing her to squirm and giggle. Finally he stood with his back to the crowd and on the count of three launched the garter into the group of men. Luke, who hadn't wanted to participate in what he called a stupid tradition, but was pushed into the group by Babette and Patty, was the lucky recipient. Embarrassedly he help up the garter to the cheers and applause. Rory went next, accepting the smaller, replica bouquet to her own to throw to the single women who had gathered behind her. On the count of three Rory threw the bouquet as high as she could. She spun around quickly, just in time to watch her bouquet fall into her Mother's arms. Paris nearly fought her for it, but Babbette and Patty restrained her just in time. Luke and Lorelai were shoved together to pose for a picture together. As tradition went, they would be the next couple to be married. Logan and Rory descended from the stage and began making their way through the crowd, saying their good-byes and thank-you.

"Have a great time at Martha's Vineyard, kid," Lorelai said as she hugged her daughter.

"Thanks Mom," Rory said before whispering, "I saw you dancing with Luke; anything happening there?"

Lorelai whispered back, "We'll see, it's possible. We'll discuss further when you get home and call me."

"I have to wait until then?" Rory whined.

"I'll ask Logan to keep your mind off it," Lorelai teased.

It took the couple nearly an hour to make it around the ball room and say their good-byes to everyone. They talked to Lane and Zack about their honeymoon in Aruba. They thanked Emily and Richard for the beautiful wedding. They said good bye to Shira and Mitchum and Mitchum promised not to call Logan about business until he was back in the office on Tuesday morning. They said good-bye to Honor, who couldn't have been happier had she seen the first ceremony in Austria. They said good-bye to Chris, Sherri and Gigi, promising that they'd all get together soon for dinner or something. Back in the rooms were they'd left their things they said good-bye to their bridesmaids and groomsmen who had been instructed to stall the couple for as long as possible.

"We have news," Paris said happily as she clasped Doyle's hand, "We're engaged!"

"Congratulations, Paris," Rory said excitedly as she hugged her, "And you too Doyle."

"That's great news guys, congratulations," Logan said shaking Doyle's hand.

As Doyle and Logan started talking about the news paper business Paris and Rory moved slightly away from them and Rory whispered, "So did he ask you or did you ask him?"

"He asked me," Paris said, "While we were dancing earlier. I didn't want to announce it until you and Logan's day was nearly done."

"You could have told me earlier," Rory said, "I'm so thrilled for you. When's the big day?"

"Well, we're not sure yet. We'd love to just get married quickly like you and Logan did," Paris said, "But the practical part of me thinks we should wait until I graduate from medical school in four years."

"You'd wait another four years to get married?" Rory asked in shock.

"We already live together, what's the difference?" Paris asked.

Before Rory could reply to that question Emily entered the room and asked the couple if they were all ready to go. The bridesmaids and groomsmen quickly slipped out the door behind her. Emily chatted with the couple all the way down the hall to the front doors of the country club. She hugged each of them good-bye once more before opening the large doors. As the couple emerged from the building they were met with swarms of bubbles being blown at them by their guests. It was like a magical shimmering sea of beautiful iridescent bubbles. The couple laughed, running through the bubbles toward their car. Logan helped Rory into the Escalade which had 'Just Married,' written on every open surface. Logan climbed into the driver's seat on the opposite side. He kissed his bride and then they waved good-bye to everyone as they pulled onto the main road and drove out of sight.

**Author's Note**: This is the end of this story. I thought I might continue onto the honeymoon, but I'm not going to. This seems like the most logical place to stop. They got married in front of all their friends and family. I feel like all the lose ends were tied up and I can safely end here. I am going to write a sequel. I might take a day or two off before I start in on that one, but I do have some ideas. As always, if you have ideas for me concerning the sequel please let me know. I love to incorporate other's ideas if they will improve the story. I think I might call the sequel Forever & Always…but we'll see. Please review and look for the sequel.

**Update:** The first chapter of the Sequel is up as of 1/8/07. It is called Forever & Always. The id number of the story is 3331725. Please come check it out!


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